Guns

[LFC]

Missouri's Republican (of course) governor is trying to slap together a militia in name only to protect everybody's guns. It's a bizarre proposal but it's not the only one.

Faced with a Democratic Congress and White House, Missouri state Sen. Bill White (R) thought long and hard about legislative maneuvers he could pursue to shield his state’s residents from potential new gun laws out of Washington.

Eventually, he settled on a novel approach: Create a new force that residents could volunteer to join — a state-sanctioned “minuteman” group to be deployed in emergencies — then make those volunteers’ guns state property. That’s right: Want to protect your guns from the government? Give them to your governor.

“What is the one thing the feds don’t really get to regulate?” White told TPM. “Well, that’s our own state property.”

That concept is at the heart of SB 528, White’s bill to create the volunteer “minutemen” force in Missouri. Crucially, according to the bill text, minutemen firearms “shall be property of the state for purposes of sovereignty and jurisdiction in matters of judicial, taxation, and police powers exercised by the state while a member of the minutemen.”

In other words, White asserted, state ownership of minutemen firearms would protect against new federal firearms legislation.

“This is a home-grown idea,” he acknowledged. “It is a little weird.”

The legal logic here is untested, at best. Federal law generally reigns supreme in the United States. And some of the bill’s critics are gun rights advocates worried about the potential for the law to create, in essence, a government list of gun owners.

But the Missouri gambit is not the only one of its type: In South Carolina, several sponsors led by Sen. Tom Corbin (R) have pushed for S. 614, which would use existing language about the state’s “unorganized militia” — a centuries-old category defined essentially as all able-bodied adults in the state who aren’t already in the National Guard — to circumvent new federal gun laws.

The bill, which received a favorable vote from the state Senate’s Family and Veterans’ Services Committee on March 24, contains similar language to the Missouri bill, meant to shielding state residents from federal gun laws.

An unorganized militia member, at their own expense, would be able to possess all firearms “that could be legally acquired or possessed by a South Carolina citizen as of December 31, 2020,” according to the bill text.

And the unorganized militia, under the bill, “may not fall under any law or regulation or the jurisdiction of any person outside of South Carolina.”

“This bill is designed, purposefully designed, to prevent the federal government from ever confiscating the weapons that my constituents can legally purchase now,” Corbin said while advocating for the legislation at a committee meeting last month.

“I don’t hide behind that,” he said. “It is a preemptive strike at any sort of federal gun grab.”

I'm no constitutional scholar but an "unorganized militia" sounds pretty close to the opposite of a "well regulated militia."

[goldenvalley]

These guys aren't thinking clearly. An unorganized militia might decide they need to be paid to be on standby, that the state needs to pay for ammo, or to pay to rent the guns owned by the militia. They'll have the firepower to march on Charleston to demand it. In Missouri, I'd be saying the state has to buy the weapons from the private citizens or at least compensate them somehow for being considered the property of the state. That'll cost money too.

[LFC]

So much for the myth of the "good guy with a gun."

Pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association have long argued that more Americans should be armed with deadly weapons on the grounds that the country needs more "good guys with guns" to stop "bad guys with guns."

CNN's Alisyn Camerota on Wednesday explained how the mass shooting that killed ten people at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado completely undermines that entire argument.

"There were ten good guys in that supermarket, ten good guys, one of whom was a trained police officer, and they're no match for an AR-15-style weapon," she said.

Camerota's guest, Democratic Colorado State Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, agreed that having a "good guy with a gun" at the supermarket didn't stop the shooting, and he said that the process for buying firearms in his state needed to change.

[LFC]

Strap in. There are several stories about the NRA's corruption, financial woes, and attempt to declare bankruptcy and move from New York to Texas with most of their assets intact. They're hoping to run away and nullify the NY AG's case. Apparently their case isn't exactly solid.

The National Rifle Association is in chaos amid growing calls for gun control following mass shootings at spas in Georgia and at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

"The group has been plagued by infighting and allegations of self-dealing and is defending itself against a sweeping lawsuit filed in August by the New York attorney general that alleges that the organization violated its nonprofit status as its top leaders allegedly raided the organization's coffers for personal gain," The Washington Post reported Saturday.

Political spending by the NRA fell by $25 million between 2016 and 2020.

"Now, the NRA's top executives are soon likely to take the stand in a Dallas courtroom, a potentially bruising public display, in a federal hearing scheduled to open April 5 to determine whether the organization will be allowed to declare bankruptcy, as it requested earlier this year," the newspaper reported. "The bankruptcy proceedings are likely to reveal embarrassing new details about the organization's internal workings and extravagant spending. Already, filings associated with the process have documented that the group was informed by the IRS that it owes $3.4 million in taxes dating to 2014 and that it paid for mosquito control at LaPierre's home, citing the expense as intended for 'security purposes.'"

The New York AG's office isn't mincing any words.

The National Rifle Association was blasted by the office of New York's attorney general on Monday.

Law & Crime reports, "The National Rifle Association's bankruptcy trial kicked off to fireworks in a federal court in Texas on Monday, as a lawyer from New York Attorney General's office ripped CEO Wayne LaPierre's gambit as a 'masterclass in bad faith and dishonest conduct.' When the NRA filed a federal bankruptcy petition in Texas earlier this year, the group's website boasted of being 'in its strongest financial condition in years.' The GOP power broker claims that it is 'dumping New York' and 'utilizing the protection of the bankruptcy court' in order to organize its 'legal and regulatory matters in efficient forum.'"

Assistant Attorney General Monica Connell said, "By the NRA's own words, it is not only solvent but financially strong."

[LFC]

The NRA claimed that court-appointed oversight of their assets would destroy the organization. If the funds are used for legitimate purposes how exactly would this happen? In classic LaPierre fashion the board didn't even hear about the bankruptcy ploy until it went public.

"The process Mr. LaPierre followed to file this bankruptcy case is itself a master class in bad faith and dishonest conduct," said Assistant New York Attorney General Monica Connell, claiming LaPierre hid the bankruptcy plan from the NRA board members and its general counsel.

NRA vice president Charles Cotton testified that the board was behind the move, even if they weren't informed about what was happening. March 28, he said that the board endorsed the bankruptcy and reorganization announced in January.

"During opening arguments in the trial, which is being conducted via WebEx videoconference, NRA lawyer Greg Garman called [Chairman Wayne] LaPierre an 'irreplaceable asset,' citing his fundraising abilities and defending his management."

Fellow board member and Kansas judge, Phillip Journey, said that he wasn't told anything about the bankruptcy and didn't learn about it until it was public. He is among those who have intervened in the case, asking the judge to appoint an examiner to review NRA decision-making.

Prosecutors from New York investigating the organization's finances suggested that the court appoint a trustee to allocate funds while the proceedings are moving forward.

The NRA's lawyers maintained that such a move would kill the organization.

"A trustee is, in fact, a death sentence," said NRA lawyer Greg Garman, claiming it would prevent LaPierre from raising money.

"He is their greatest asset," Garman said. "He is the only person, the only person who can raise a hundred million dollars a year.

"In addition to the attorney general, the NRA's longtime advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen, is opposing the bankruptcy petition, arguing that it is a ploy to avoid litigation and scrutiny of the group's spending.

Ironically, the group claims that they have plenty of money, but bankruptcy is necessary because the "political" New York lawsuit could destroy the organization because it "seeks to dissolve the organization" as part of the financial scandals.

"The NRA maintains it is in sound financial condition, but said it had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to move to Texas because of the existential threat presented by the New York attorney general's suit," the Post explained.

So they've confessed that they are declaring bankruptcy for not financial reasons but only to avoid the AG's lawsuit. Way to abuse the law.

[LFC]

Biden spoke up about gun violence and is taking a swing at getting an actual director at ATF. Per this article it's been 15 years since the ATF has had a confirmed nominee leading it. That's disgusting.

President Biden called the scourge of gun violence in America an “international embarrassment” on Thursday as he announced executive actions to address the vexing issue weeks after mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado.

Biden also announced his nomination of David Chipman — a longtime former ATF agent who served as a senior policy adviser at Giffords, the gun control advocacy group led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) — as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Obama nominee B. Todd Jones was the last ATF director confirmed in the past 15 years. Former President Trump had withdrawn the nomination of former top police union official, Chuck Canterbury, to lead the ATF after some Republican senators expressed concern that he would restrict the rights of gun owners.

Here are some of the things he's looking to do via executive order.

Biden then outlined the executive actions that his administration is taking to curb gun violence, which the President stressed are first steps to address the issue.

The President said he is directing his administration to begin requiring consumers of “ghost guns,” which are homemade or makeshift firearms lacking serial numbers, to undergo background checks. Biden noted that buyers aren’t required to pass background checks to buy the kits to make them.

Biden also advocated for legislation preventing people believed to be a danger to themselves or others from gun ownership, such as red flag laws that allow police or family members to file a petition in court in their jurisdiction and request the temporary removal of firearms from people who pose “danger in a crisis.”

The President also called for a ban of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, expressed his support for closing the “Charleston loophole” that permits the transferring of guns from licensed gun dealers without a completed background check and asked the Justice Department to release a new annual report on firearms trafficking.

While demanding action against gun violence from Congress, Biden appeared to take a swipe at Republican lawmakers’ “thoughts and prayers” gambit in an attempt to shrug off taking steps toward addressing the issue.

“They have offered plenty of thoughts and prayers, members of Congress, but they have passed not a single new law to reduce gun violence — enough prayers, time for some action,” Biden said.

Biden urged the Senate to immediately pass three House-passed bills in order to close loopholes that allow gun purchasers to bypass background checks.

Attorney General Merrick Garland took the podium after the President concluded his remarks, and outlined steps that the Justice Department will take to deliver on Biden’s executive actions.

[goldenvalley]

Just timed nicely with Biden's speech...in South Carolina a couple and two of their grandchildren were shot.  Also another person was killed and a 6th person was wounded.   They're probably just collateral damage from the 2nd Amendment.  Too bad, but that's the price they paid for freedom.

[LFC]

Another high school shooting, this one in Tennessee.

A shooting at a Tennessee high school left one person dead and a police officer injured on Monday, authorities said. The Knoxville Police Department said in a statement that “multiple law enforcement agencies” responded to Austin-East Magnet High School Monday afternoon after receiving reports of “a male subject who was possibly armed.” “Upon approach of the subject, shots were fired,” police said in a statement, adding that an officer was struck at least once during the incident. The officer was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The other individual, a male juvenile, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another person has been detained for “further investigation.” “There are no other known gunshot victims,” authorities said. Police have yet to confirm what prompted the shooting.

[Bact PhD]

And we wake up to yet another, this time in Indianapolis...


www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/16/indianapolis-fedex-shooting-airport/

Police responded just after 11 p.m. to reports of shots fired. Upon arriving at the facility, officers came in contact with an active shooter, police said. The gunman then apparently killed himself.
The authorities were still working to confirm the identities of the shooter and the victims.
Eight victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Five people were taken to hospitals. Indianapolis Deputy Police Chief Craig McCartt said the five people taken to hospitals were all believed to be in stable condition. Two others were treated at the scene.
As investigators search for a motive, McCartt said the shooting “wasn’t precipitated by any kind of a disturbance or an argument.”
The FBI is now assisting with the investigation.
It was the fifth mass shooting in the United States in as many weeks...

[LFC]

Another "responsible gun owner" who decided that blowing up 80 lbs of Tannerite was somehow an OK thing to do for a gender reveal party.

Another gender reveal party turned dangerous, this time in New Hampshire, with an explosion that shook nearby homes.
The partygoers detonated around 80 pounds of explosives, Kingston police said in a statement. They used an explosive called Tannerite, a target used for firearms practice that also comes in a gender-reveal variety.

After Kingston police arrived Tuesday, they said, the partygoers admitted the explosion had been part of a gender reveal party and later told a detective that they'd chosen the quarry because they felt it was a "safe location" to detonate the explosives.

But the detonation triggered tremors that some neighbors who lived near the quarry believed came from an earthquake. One woman told CNN affiliate WBZ the explosion caused cracks in her home's foundation.

Another neighbor called the explosion "absolutely over the top, ridiculous."
[snip]
Based on the color powder released in the explosion, the partygoers will soon celebrate the birth of a boy.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Tannerite it used to create exploding targets. In small amounts it's safe enough but idiots pack piles of it together to blow shit up when they shoot at it. One moron several years ago packed an old riding mower with piles of it and fired. He lost a leg due to that particular bit of stupidity.

[andydp]

Apr 23, 2021 16:41:13 GMT LFC said:

Another "responsible gun owner" who decided that blowing up 80 lbs of Tannerite was somehow an OK thing to do for a gender reveal party.

Another gender reveal party turned dangerous, this time in New Hampshire, with an explosion that shook nearby homes.
The partygoers detonated around 80 pounds of explosives, Kingston police said in a statement. They used an explosive called Tannerite, a target used for firearms practice that also comes in a gender-reveal variety.

After Kingston police arrived Tuesday, they said, the partygoers admitted the explosion had been part of a gender reveal party and later told a detective that they'd chosen the quarry because they felt it was a "safe location" to detonate the explosives.

But the detonation triggered tremors that some neighbors who lived near the quarry believed came from an earthquake. One woman told CNN affiliate WBZ the explosion caused cracks in her home's foundation.

Another neighbor called the explosion "absolutely over the top, ridiculous."
[snip]
Based on the color powder released in the explosion, the partygoers will soon celebrate the birth of a boy.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Tannerite it used to create exploding targets. In small amounts it's safe enough but idiots pack piles of it together to blow shit up when they shoot at it. One moron several years ago packed an old riding mower with piles of it and fired. He lost a leg due to that particular bit of stupidity.

In the Army Engineers, I've blown up my share of 40lb cratering charges.  These items are so powerful most Army posts restrict a "shot" to 40lb maximum.  Observing a 40lb charge going off is to put it mildly, spectacular: soils and rocks flying upward of 100 feet. The minimum safe distance is 1,000 feet because... all that stuff that went comes down in a large area.  The charges are placed in a hole, with a secondary charge (usually a block of C-4).  After detonation you have a crater.  In wartime you use three charges to create a road obstacle.

I'm assuming this 80lb charge was placed above ground.  I'm amazed no rocks or debris hit anyone.  They are super super lucky.

[pnwguy]

Believe it or not, we used explosives on a logging job, when huge logs fell exactly along a flat surface. If you couldn't dig a hole under the log to get a choker around it, we blew a hole with a stick of 25% strength dynamite. But the guys on the crew appeared to have absolutely no training on safe handling of explosives, and I'm amazed that they didn't have fatalities in the time I was working with them. I knew when it was "fire in the hole" time, to get behind something. Rocks would go flying and bounce off hard hats. The old school guys have metal (not plastic) hard hats, and you could see all the dents in them over time.

[LFC]

Gun purchases are up, especially for first time buyers. With the mass shootings and rise in white supremacy the "face" of gun buying is changing. I wonder how the white nationalists supremacists are going to react to all of those other people being armed and ready, especially those in working as police officers.

Mark Oliva, public affairs director for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the largest demographic increase was among non-white Americans.

"Today's gun owner looks a lot less like me and looks a whole lot more like America," Oliva, who is white, said.

Most often, the first timers are purchasing a semiautomatic handgun, outpacing the second-most purchased firearm, shotguns, by a 2 to 1 margin, according to NSSF.

Solomon, owner of Redstone Firearms and who has been running California's only Black owned-gun shop since 2015 with her husband, said in the last year, she's noticed an increase in the number of Black women who have come into the store to buy a gun.

Part of that interest stems from the strained relations between the Black community and police, and a real fear of dialing 911 in emergencies, she said.

"Because of that most of our customers that have come in here take on that personal responsibility to be able to protect themselves," she said.

[LFC]

Meanwhile from the Dept. of An Armed Society is a Polite Society we have a young woman killed by a bullet that came through her window and a 3-year old boy who was killed by a bullet at a birthday party.

A young public-radio reporter in Kansas City was found mortally wounded by a bullet that apparently crashed through the window of her apartment. Aviva Okeson-Haberman, 24, was about to start a new beat covering criminal justice and social issues for the Kansas News Service, according to her employer, KCUR. “She was an especially beloved friend and colleague just beginning what promised to be a brilliant career,” the station said in a statement. Okeson-Haberman was found when a colleague who had not heard from her went to check her apartment on Friday. She was taken to the hospital but never regained consciousness and died over the weekend.

A 3-year-old boy was killed when gunfire erupted at a children’s birthday party in a Miami suburb—unleashing shock and outrage from community members, politicians and celebrities.

Investigators are still searching for the person who shot Elijah LaFrance when an altercation at a short-term rental in Golden Glades turned violent on Saturday night.

“As a father and as a member of this community, I am completely devastated. I’m disgusted,” Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez told reporters at the scene.

“We talk about accountability. When are we going to hold ourselves accountable for what’s going on in our streets each and every day? This is ridiculous.”

Cops were alerted to the gunfire by SpotShotter technology and found Elijah, mortally wounded, at the house. He was rushed to the hospital but died. A 21-year-old woman was also shot but is in stable condition.

A neighbor told NBC Miami they heard 20 to 30 shots. It’s unclear what led to the shooting.

[LFC]

Buckle up for possible forced concealed carry (and perhaps open carry?) by every state.

We start with the fact that the right to individual gun ownership, enshrined by the Supreme Court since 2008, is a novel manufacture, not something any court or reasonable person thought existed prior to NRA activism of recent decades. Now the Supreme Court has chosen to hear a case which could manufacture an individual right to carry weapons outside the home in every state in the country. In other words, national and automatic ‘concealed carry’.

The specific law being challenged is a New York law which requires those seeking a concealed carry permit to demonstrate a special need for self-defense. In other words, your general belief in arming yourself or mere paranoia isn’t enough. You need to demonstrate a specific and tangible need. Until relatively recently, such laws were commonplace around the country. But there’s been a move in many red states to make such permits available to anyone.

It is another illustration of the cost of Republican court packing at all levels and especially on the Supreme Court.

[pnwguy]

Apr 26, 2021 18:52:23 GMT LFC said:

Buckle up for possible forced concealed carry (and perhaps open carry?) by every state.

We start with the fact that the right to individual gun ownership, enshrined by the Supreme Court since 2008, is a novel manufacture, not something any court or reasonable person thought existed prior to NRA activism of recent decades. Now the Supreme Court has chosen to hear a case which could manufacture an individual right to carry weapons outside the home in every state in the country. In other words, national and automatic ‘concealed carry’.

The specific law being challenged is a New York law which requires those seeking a concealed carry permit to demonstrate a special need for self-defense. In other words, your general belief in arming yourself or mere paranoia isn’t enough. You need to demonstrate a specific and tangible need. Until relatively recently, such laws were commonplace around the country. But there’s been a move in many red states to make such permits available to anyone.

It is another illustration of the cost of Republican court packing at all levels and especially on the Supreme Court.

Only the bible is a holier object of worship to the GOP fringe than a gun.  Remington, Winchester, Smith & Wesson, Glock, Colt, etc.  -- their founders are the apostles of the creed.  "Praise Gun from whom all blessings flow...."

[Traveler]

Frankly, I am all for concealed carry. I don't care if you are armed so long as you don't parade it around and makes folks uncomfortable. It is open carry that irks me. All it says is "look at me".

[goldenvalley]

Apr 28, 2021 17:09:57 GMT Traveler said:

Frankly, I am all for concealed carry. I don't care if you are armed so long as you don't parade it around and makes folks uncomfortable. It is open carry that irks me. All it says is "look at me".

I have the opposite reaction. The open carry types do say "look at me." That's okay because I want to see who is carrying.  Concealed carry means I have to wonder if that twitchy person in line to buy a ticket at the movie theater is packing.  I can then decide if I need to remove myself. 

[pnwguy]

Those true believers in the Gun-olic Church seem to really want the US to be like Old West towns, where everyone has a gun with them at all times (except them darkies and Chinese). No one, not guvmit, nor saloon owner, nor school marm, should be allowed to deny them their God Given Right to a firearm at hand at all times. Now they feel confident that the Yahoo contingent on SCOTUS will grant their wet dream.

[AnBr]

Apr 28, 2021 18:31:11 GMT pnwguy said:

Those true believers in the Gun-olic Church seem to really want the US to be like Old West towns, where everyone has a gun with them at all times (except them darkies and Chinese). No one, not guvmit, nor saloon owner, nor school marm, should be allowed to deny them their God Given Right to a firearm at hand at all times. Now they feel confident that the Yahoo contingent on SCOTUS will grant their wet dream.

What they seem to forget is that it is in those same towns implemented the first gun laws (check your gun with the sheriff's office, you can pick it up when you leave, etc).

[jackd]

They'll say that's before those towns were under federal jurisdiction (in recognized states). The correct response is that that was before Scalia.

[LFC]

Apr 28, 2021 19:41:34 GMT AnBr said:

What they seem to forget is that it is in those same towns implemented the first gun laws (check your gun with the sheriff's office, you can pick it up when you leave, etc).

I don't understand. I thought an armed society was a peaceful society. It's almost like that's pure bullshit.

[Traveler]

Apr 28, 2021 17:37:25 GMT goldenvalley said:

Apr 28, 2021 17:09:57 GMT Traveler said:

Frankly, I am all for concealed carry. I don't care if you are armed so long as you don't parade it around and makes folks uncomfortable. It is open carry that irks me. All it says is "look at me".

I have the opposite reaction. The open carry types do say "look at me." That's okay because I want to see who is carrying.  Concealed carry means I have to wonder if that twitchy person in line to buy a ticket at the movie theater is packing.  I can then decide if I need to remove myself. 

I forgot to add that every concealed carry permit should come with a gun training certificate, which has to be renewed annually with at least a few hours on the range to keep up your skills and shooting protocols.  As it is, the cat is out of the CC bag anyway, but at least there is some progress toward this end.  I just have to trust that the CC folks have the training needed. 


With OC, you know don't know if the wannabe is competent or not.  Those I avoid.   

[goldenvalley]

Apr 29, 2021 12:24:15 GMT Traveler said:

With OC, you know don't know if the wannabe is competent or not.  Those I avoid.   

Competent at what?  Hitting the intended target?  That doesn't make me feel better.

[LFC]

Apr 29, 2021 13:06:55 GMT goldenvalley said:

Apr 29, 2021 12:24:15 GMT Traveler said:

With OC, you know don't know if the wannabe is competent or not.  Those I avoid.   

Competent at what?  Hitting the intended target?  That doesn't make me feel better.

If it's a proper training abd certification (note the word "proper" which carries a lot of weight in this context) then safe gun handling is THE major topic. The marksmanship part is actually pretty trivial. I suspect a number of people who hardly ever shot could, with just a little coaching, fire a group that's tight enough. These courses aren't there to help you compete. They're there to ensure you can handle your firearm safely and shoot well enough to be safe.

Unfortunately I view the open carry types as having visions of being a hero in their head. (There are exceptions like store owners who do it to make people think twice about attempting a robbery but those are small use cases.) The training required to handle a firearm in an emergency situation is completely different, more intense, and vastly longer. If you're out of shape and waddling around with a pile of extra weight on your belly then you probably aren't mobile enough to do it competently.