antigun groups

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Brady Campaign grades the States again

It's their annual publicity event. The Rapid City Journal, for instance, runs the story S.D. GETS LOW MARKS FOR GUN RESTRICTIONS. Yup, a dismal F, 6 points out of 100 possible.

Strange that in 2006, the State, whose population is 150% that of the District of Columbia, had a whole 9 homicides. Homicide rate of 1.2, about 25% the national rate.

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A few embarassing moments...

California Senate President Don Perata, "a leading control advocate," has announced he's turning in a handgun to a gun-buyback. Won't say whether it's his only handgun, either.

And former Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne was sentenced to a year in the slammer , and now has lost his pension,for tax evasion ... specifically, not paying taxes on bribes. Quite a downfall for a Brady Campaign stalwart. Hat tip to Eric Schultz...

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"Gun Guys" and Joyce Foundation

Some research at Armed and Safe.

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Violence Policy Center starts losing it on NICS bill

Josh Sugarman, head of VPC, posts under the title of Trojan Horse Gun Control: The NRA Wins on the NICS Bill:

"Much has been made of the bill's bi-partisan, triangulating support: Democrats! Republicans! The National Rifle Association! The Brady Campaign! Beyond this cheery bon temps, little public attention has been paid to what the bill actually does beyond its title. And that's because if you start looking at the details of the bill--especially after NRA-backed changes made by Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn--it becomes clear that the measure is nothing less than a pro-gun Trojan Horse. That's why my organization, the Violence Policy Center, and other national gun control groups, have voiced their strong concerns about the version of the bill that was passed by Congress."

"So why's the NRA so in thrall with an alleged gun control bill? Here are some of the reasons why.

"The bill would resuscitate a failed government program that spent millions of dollars annually to allow persons prohibited from buying guns to regain the ability to legally acquire firearms. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be required to establish a "relief from disability" program to allow persons now prohibited from possessing a firearm because they have "been adjudicated as a mental defective" or "committed to a mental institution" to apply to have their bar on firearms possession removed. As a result of the bill, more than 116,000 individuals would be eligible to apply. States would also be required to establish such "relief" programs to restore the gun privileges of those with mental health disabilities in order to be eligible for potential grant money to upgrade records submitted to the NICS."

"Once a solution, the bill--hijacked by the gun lobby--is now part of the problem. Intended as Congress' response to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech by focusing on improving the current laws prohibiting people with certain mental health disabilities from buying guns, the bill is now nothing more than a gun lobby wish list. It will waste millions of taxpayer dollars restoring the gun privileges of persons previously determined to present a danger to themselves or others."

And of course, the obligatory hit at those who... shudder... have served their country:

"The concerns over these aspects of the bill are not abstract. According to research published earlier this year, male U.S. veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as men with no military service and are more likely to kill themselves with a gun than others who commit suicide. .... Veterans with mental health problems may present special risks for gun violence. In 2000, the New York Times examined 100 rampage shootings and found that the majority (52 percent) of such killers had been in the military."

Hmm... Cho, the Columbine killers, others ... I can't recall a vet among them. Discipline and duty are not things that a violent narcissist seeks out.

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Brady Campaign getting a bit antisemitic?

Go to their webpage and look at the animation of Judge Silberman (author of the Circuit opinion that struck down the handgun ban).

Not so long ago, NRA took heat for using an image of an octopus which, the media assured all, was a symbol used by the Nazis. I rather doubt the media have the same interest in Brady using a caricature that Goebbels would have had autographed and framed.

Continue reading "Brady Campaign getting a bit antisemitic?"

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Gun Guys gaffe

The Gun Guys (which is actually an antigun page) has a posting proclaiming how a mentally-disturbed fellow was shot by police after he got a " .50 caliber rifle with a scope on it and pointed it at officers. "

They use this as a opportunity to go with their .50 spiel:

"t's terrifying to think what might have happened if an officer was shot with such a devastating weapon. It's ours, and certainly every officer's worst nightmare. A weapon designed to shoot down civilian aircraft during takeoff and landing would devastate and rip apart a person's body if shot by one of these powerful weapon." Can shoot down an airliner, etc., etc.

But if you check out the story you find:

"Jessica says they told police Casey had no black powder for the muzzle loader, but police say they can't take that chance."

Hat tip to Joshua Berger...

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The sound of silence...

A gunman goes on rampage, kills six.

We hear from the Brady Campaign, which might be expect to cite the case, or at least post a press release expressing their condolences... the sound of silence. Their lead item is still a posting about "God Not Guns Sabbath," held over a week ago. Strange, when there were far smaller shootings in Philadephia and Salt Lake City months ago, they were quick to proclaim "What a disturbed teenager in Utah and a tormented businessman in Pennsylvania have in common is that they had access to guns....We join with our Brady members and Million Mom March Chapters in Utah and Pennsylvania and across America in offering our heartfelt condolences to the families of those that have been lost." When two men were killed in Greenwich Village, they announced "Our hearts and condolences go out to the families of the victims of the terrible shooting in Greenwich Village."

The same sound prevails at the Violence Policy Center. And at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.

Of course, in the case they ignore the shooter was a law enforcement officer, so his victims wouldn't serve their policy agenda. But we'd have to be awfully cynical to believe that advancing a political agenda has anything to do expression of condolence, I suppose.

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Brady Campaign leaps aboard IACP (and Joyce) bandwagon

I posted with regard the International Assn of Chiefs of Police report, which was funded (and apparently written) by the Joyce Foundation. Today, Brady Campaign climbed aboard that bandwagon, meaning that their idea of "moderate, common-sense gun control" now includes, at a minimum:

Outlawing all private (non-dealer) gun transfers;

"Assault weapon" bans;

.50 caliber ban;

bans on handgun cartridges that can penetrate body armor (i.e., magnum chamberings, and probably a lot else -- the commonest form of body armor is meant to stand up to .38/9mm and nothing more potent -- not to mention that if a ban is written broadly it will include almost all rifle rounds, since pistols are available in .30-30, .35 Remington, etc.);

"health and safety" regulation of firearms design;

"one gun a month;"

repeal the Tiahrt Amendment to facilitate lawsuits against dealers and manufacturers;

and probably a lot else....

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Joyce Foundation buys the International Assn of Chiefs of Police

They started by buying law reviews: now they're buying organizations, or at least their reports.

A while back, the antigun Joyce Foundation made a hefty grant to fund a gun summit meeting by some members of the International Assn of Chiefs of Police. Here's the pdf file.

Surprise! It concludes we need lots and lots of gun control. Ban "assault weapons," repeal the Tihart Amendment, ban .50 BMG, outlaw possession by anyone with a violent misdemeanor record, ban armor piercing using a standard of actual ability to penetrate body armor (which would encompass virtually any rifle round), outlaw private gun transfers, increase ATF's budget, etc., etc.

But the interesting part is that the International apparently let Joyce staffers write the report:

"We are grateful to several key staff at the Joyce Foundation; President Ellen Alberding for her leadership, passionate concern for quality of life in our communities, and particularly for her interest in partnering with the IACP to address gun violence, Program Officer Roseanna Ander for her dedication to reducing gun violence in the Great Lake States and the nation, and her relentless enthusiasm as she worked with IACP staff to make the summit a reality and Communications Director Mary O’Connell, who has aided in highlighting and supporting the vision of our summit participants through her editing, writing and consistent work to produce this report. "

Continue reading "Joyce Foundation buys the International Assn of Chiefs of Police"

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Anti gun legislator arrested for DUI, flight & damaging squad car

I can't beat Instapundit's summary: more support for the theory that antigunners assume we have their lack of self control. And that certain legislators think they are above the law. DUI and leaving the scene would be pretty bad -- but finishing the drink in front of the officer? [Corrected to delete the mention of pulling a gun: the report above apparently got that wrong]

Gad--even more. He was totally crocked, rear-ended a car, led police on a 100 mph chase, kicked out the window of a patrol car while under arrest, and he's chairman of judiciary committee! The officers didn't give a sobriety test because he was so unsteady they feared he'd fall and injure himself. Story here.

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Violence Policy Center takes aim at veterans

VPC takes aim at veterans. It's upset that the proposed NICS changes might be too liberal toward vets who have at some point been diagnosed as having mental illness.

" Under the new standard, federal departments or agencies would be prohibited from providing certain mental health records (including mental health records of veterans) to the NICS if the records fell into any of several newly defined categories. For example, if a mental health patient has been "fully released or discharged from all mandatory treatment, supervision, or monitoring," the record of his treatment or hospitalization could not be submitted to the NICS and the individual would be permitted to possess firearms."

"The bill would re-establish a federal "relief" mechanism for persons prohibited from possessing guns because of a mental health disability and would also require states to establish similar state-based "relief from disability" systems in order to be eligible for the grants the bill makes available to improve mental health records."

"This change to the original bill comes in the wake of recent government and private studies revealing that the number of veterans dealing with mental illness is at an all-time high, with many receiving inadequate care. A recent Department of Defense task force study found that the military mental health system lacks providers and is "woefully inadequate" to deal with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, a new study reports that male U.S. veterans are not only twice as likely to commit suicide as men with no military service, but are also 58 percent more likely to kill themselves with a gun than others who commit suicide. A 2000 analysis by the New York Times of 100 "rampage killers" found that the majority (52 percent) had a military background and 47 percent of the killers had a history of mental health problems."

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"Culture of corruption" in Bloomberg's mayors' group?

Third Power reports that Mayor Samuel Rivera of Passiac NJ, a member of Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has been arrested on federal corruption charges.

He joins Frank Melton, of Jackson MS, another of the Mayor's group, who plead to weapons infractions after he and his bodyguards broke into a house.

Has Bloomberg's mayors group created a culture of corruption? Perhaps someone should demand their resignations!

Add to that a plea to tax evasion and mail fraud by a Brady Campaign LEO, with another such LEO in in hot water over accepting gifts, and certainly sounds as if that's occurring. All this is in the last twelve months, too.

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Another Brady Campaign LEO spokesman bites the dust

From a Brady Campaign press release attacking Florida's expansion of self defense: "Police chiefs who opposed the new Florida law include ... Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, (954) 831- 8900."

From their Shoot First website: "The Florida statute was passed over the strong objections of law enforcement officials and prosecutors. Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne opposed the law because "it's easy to say after the fact, I felt threatened." "

From today's Sun-Sentinel: "Federal prosecutors: Jenne agrees to plead guilty to tax evasion, mail fraud"

He's apparently looking at 1.5 - 2 years behind bars.

[UPDATE: I invented "the curse of the gunnies," think it was in a humorous piece for Gun Week back in the late 70s, a tale in which the bill of rights is protected by a curse -- some say carved inside Madison's casket. I noted that the prime mover behind the National Firearms Act died of a heart attack on the Senate floor, while his NRA opponents lived to 96 and 112, that Sen. Dodd's career ended in censure and disgrace, etc., etc.]

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Round up of yesterday's pitiful protests

Alphecca has a roundup. And they do appear to have been pitiful. In Seattle, two people who lay on the ground for 32 seconds before furling their banner and leaving. "About 40" in New York. Outside DC, a few dozen demonstrate, and can't even get a favorable story in the Washington Post.

Update: and on the same day, VCDL turns out over 100 in Norfolk, to protest an illegal arrest for open carry.

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Jesse Jackson: ATF is underfunded

Church of the Duke reports a Jackson speech claiming ATF is underfunded. (The example he cites is inspections: it would take 22 years to inspect all FFLs. Yet he also claims that 1% of FFLs account for 57% of traces. So why inspect all 100% if this is true?).

Third Power fires back an email, citing matters such as the ATF Director's posh suite, the Inspector General's report on his use of agents, etc.

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A bit of hypocrisy...

Sylvester Stallone, a Brady Campaign stalwart, who's said ""until America, door to door, takes every handgun, this is what you're gonna have... It really is pathetic... We're livin' in the Dark Ages over there," turns out to have a CCW permit, issued by the celebrity-loving LA County Sheriff.

Oh, and listing four handguns that he will be packing.

And, interesting -- he answers question 9, has he been convicted of any offense in this or any other country, with "no." That was apparently true when he wrote it (2004) but a few months ago he plead to a charge in Australia that would qualify as a felony. The Supreme Court has ruled that foreign felonies don't count, California law may vary, but I'd assume this would be cause to re-examine his permit. Oh, I forgot, he's a celebrity.

Hat tip to Joe Olson...

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Antigun official in hot water

Miami police chief John Timoney is in hot water. Again. The latest allegations are that he accepted free use of a luxury vehicle from a car dealership, while also drawing an allowance from the city for use of a personal car. The FOP, which doesn't care much for him, is calling for a vote of no confidence. (One of the things that may have them upset is that he reportedly fired a female officer for being married to a convicted felon, conflict of interest and all that, while he keeps his own job despite his son being a convicted felon).

He was pretty much a Brady Campaign poster boy. He endorsed Brady Campaign's opposition to liberalizing self-defense, calling it "unnecessary and dangerous", proclaimed that if the assault weapon ban expired, "We will see a return to the horrific violence that plagued our streets during the late 1980s and early 1990s.”", etc. (last file is a small pdf).

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Brady Center on Parker Circuit ruling

They've posted their response here.

Hat tip to Joe Olson.

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Brady Campaign & Jesse Jackson to protest

They're protesting something or other on August 28.

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An interesting perspective

Imprisoning gun-using offenders is the price of compromise to the Brady Campaign. At least it's good to know they don't actively oppose the idea:

"Gun control advocates have largely supported longer sentences as compromises in order to win support for gun control laws. Chad Ramsey, field director for the anti-gun Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, says his organization believes such "after-the-fact" laws can be helpful for that reason.

"As part of a broader package, we're not going to oppose things like that," Ramsey said. He added, however, "I don't think criminals go out there and don't commit crimes because they're going to get a slightly longer sentence.""

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The view from the other side...

Carolyn McCarthy explains to antigunners why she got into bed with NRA in regard to the recent House bill on mental records and disabilities.

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Must be a REALLY slow news day

Stop Handgun Violence has stopped making strawman buys long enough to issue a press release that reveals (gasp!) NRA doesn't endorse background checks for private sales. And they even have a list of persons and groups that have antigun positions. Those are real shockers!

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Antigun leader makes strawman buy

Gun Owners' Action League has the story. John Rosenthal, of Stop Handgun Violence and American Hunters and Shooters Association, went on a radio show to discuss his latest anti-NRA billboard, and in the process explained how he'd made a straw man purchase at an out of state gun show, after licensed dealers refuse to sell to him.

Not that he'd have to worry about prosecution, of course. Which is why he felt free to confess to a federal felony over the radio. Oh, and the Boston Globe paid for the buy.

[UPDATE: the theory of a strawman sale is (1) if the ultimate recipient is not able to buy (here, he's a nonresident), then he has made an illegal purchase through the use of a third party and (2) whether he's an illegal buyer or not, he's a party to making a false record in connection with a firearms purchase (getting the straw man to fill out the 4473 claiming that he is the purchaser), which is likewise a felony. (2) is even clearer today, when, as I recall, the 4473 form has a clause specifically asking if you are buying for someone else.]

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Resignation from Bloomburg mayors' group

Mayor Harry Moore, of Oldmans Twnsp, NJ, has resigned. Here's his resignation letter.

"I joined your coalition because of its purported purpose to combat the criminal acquisition and misuse of guns, which is a goal shared by all Americans. Regrettably, it has become abundantly clear to me that you are using this coalition of mayors to advance a hidden agenda of bringing lawsuits against members of the firearms industry and spreading anti-gun propaganda.
......
According to ATF and the Department of Justice, your actions in having civilian private investigators conduct clandestine sting operations against federally licensed firearms dealers, without the knowledge of ATF or your own police department, actually interfered with ongoing criminal investigations, putting the lives of law enforcement officers and others at risk. The Department of Justice warned you to refrain from these actions because such efforts could "interrupt or jeopardize ongoing investigations." In response, your Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler stated that the operations would not necessarily stop. I do not want the blood of a police officer on my hands so that you can advance your anti-gun litigation campaign. I prefer instead to support the Fraternal Order of Police, a group that opposes your coalition's efforts to gain access to gun trace data for use in civil lawsuits."

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More Joyce Foundation "astroturf"

According to its website, WAVE, or the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (which strangely only seems interested in firearms violence), is "Wisconsin's only statewide grassroots organization solely dedicated to reducing gun violence, injuries and deaths."

It goes on to list its accomplishments:

"A fully functional professional organization has been created essentially from scratch and is now up and running with a solid infrastructure.

An active coalition of partner groups is in place, drawn from sectors including public health, violence prevention, law enforcement, families and children, education, faith, grassroots, community and neighborhood-based, and others."

Curiously, it doesn't seem to have any true members, just contributors. The only staffer identified is an excutive director who is mentioned in press releases. And its newsletters only go back to 2006. This "grassroots" group seems to have appeared out of nowhere in the last year. How did they muster public support?

They didn't. Bouncing over to the Joyce Foundation's lists of antigun grants, we find:

"Thursday, November 30, 2006 Printable version
WAVE Educational Fund
Milwaukee, WI
Amount: $630,000.00"

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Jesse Jackson plans to expand gun shop protests

Story here.

What I don't understand is this -- Jesse Jackson normally extorts firms with enough money to be worth shaking down. More here and here.

Maybe he's desperate for cash this month. But it's so undignified, like Al Capone collecting protection money from lemonade stands.

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Jesse Jackson plans protests for Aug. 28

From the "Rainbow Coalition" website: "Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, announced today he will organize a national day of protest in 25 cities on Aug. 28, 2007, to rally support for legislation to restrict gun sales."

I did get a chuckle from this. I suppose it would help if he knew something about the subject:

"The National Rifle Association, a powerful special-interest lobbying organization and chief proponent of lax rules for gun ownership, is promoting a federal bill that would, among other things, eliminate any limits on the quantities of guns an individual may purchase."

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Another illustration of how far things have come

Over at the Huffington Post, the head of Brady Campaign is rejoicing in a survey that finds a whole 30% thought that stricter gun laws (the term being left undefined) might have helped a lot at Va Tech, and that on the question of whether allowing lawful carrying of guns on campus would help or hurt, 23% thought it would help and 26% thought it would hurt.

To think that today, their side of the movement has to regard those figures as good news.

The survey is here, in pdf... gun questions are after #60. And that was about the closest thing to good news for Brady.

The survey is of 17-29 year olds (with some questions matched with recent data for all adults), so you'd expect this to be favorable to Brady's cause. (Asked which primary election they'd vote in, Demos outnumbered Repubs almost 2-1). And many questions are "stacked" ("How big of a problem is..." starts you thinking that this is a problem). But...

How big of a problem are guns in schools? Choices are not serious or serious. Serious stacking here, but 70% said not serious.

Would stricter gun control have helped at Va Tech? 42% said no effect, 30% "a little."

And going back to questions No. 1 and No. 6, asked (without prompting) to say what was the most serious question facing people of your generation, and the country ... crime got one response and gun control got zero.

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How things have changed...

When I started studying this issue in the 1970s, the big pushes were for, oh, national registration of all firearms, national permit systems for purchasing and carrying handguns, bans on civilian ownership of short-barreled handguns, and I forget what else. (Those were just the major issues: on the side bills were introduced to ban civilian use of soft-point projectiles in handguns, ban telescopic sights for rifles -- too useful for snipers, etc., etc.). Understand that in 1968, some antigun groups (in particular the predecessor of Brady Campaign) had come out AGAINST national registration, because they thought they could get more than that and were worried that Congress might pass registration, escape the media heat, and stop there.

Today, Brady Campaign issues a press release announcing its hopes for success, entitled "Connecticut, Many Other States Strengthening Gun Laws."

The specifics: one state passed a law to require reporting of stolen guns and another will give more mental health records to the NICS system.

Two more (Mass. & NJ, what a surprise!) are at least thinking about one gun a month.

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Bitter's on a roll!

Bitter has a series of posts that chronicle the financial woes of the Brady Campaign. As in income drop of nearly a third in two years, operating on a loss of over $300,000 the first year, fundraising costs going up from 24% to 32% of budget.

And a good discussion of the NICS bill that's moving thru Congress. I haven't seen the wording and can't vouch for the content, but if it gives mental-committment prohibited persons the ability to regain firearms rights, it will be a big step forward. I know two persons, upstanding types, who right now are barred for life because years ago they had a mental committment.

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Priest who called for "snuffing out" dealer equivocal now

The Chicago Tribune blog has the story. Apparently the Cardinal and he had a talk. Now he says he meant it more like "sniff out," and claims he didn't know that "snuff out" had homicidal implications. Hmmm... "Secondly, John Riggio. He’s the owner of Chucks. John Riggio R-I-G-G-I-O. We’re gonna find you and snuff you out. You can’t keep hiding ‘cause you’re afraid." "Whatever it takes to shut this gun store down. And shut down this legislation. We’re gonna snuff out John Riggio. We’re gonna snuff out legislators against our gun laws. And we’re coming for you because we’re not going to sit idly."

The mystery to me is the story's mention of his foster son. Guess he could be widowed.

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Chaska, Minn. Chief of Police signs on with Mayors

Police Chief Scott Knight, of Chaska Minn., has signed on to do a TV commercial for Bloomberg's Mayors group.

The story also notes that FOP opposes the Bloomberg position, and that two stations refused to run the ad.

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Yet another "this is pitiful" moment

A few years back, Los Angeles gave 1.5 million in grants to a group known as "No Guns."

ATF just arrested its founder for sale of a machine gun, two silencers, and other toys.

Note to LA government: be cautious about trusting a million bucks to a guy who goes by "Big Weasel."

UPDATE: LA Weekly has more detail. He already had one gun charge against him, his son, "Little Weasel," had been indicted for robbery, and his daughter's boyfriend, present in the house when he was arrested, fled but was caught and is charged with felon-in-possession. Oh, and he and relatives were making $200,000 a year each off Los Angeles.

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Brady Campaign and allowing CCW holders to carry on campus

Brady Campaign has released a paper (pdf) arguing that universities should allow neither faculty nor student holders of CCW permits to carry arguing, among other things, that universities might increase legal liability. The paper got some traction in the Chronicle of Higher Education today.

Reminds me a little of Prof. Reynold's comment, in my documentary, that gun control is a litmus test for how a person views their fellow citizens. A few choice quotes:

"A binge drinking, drug using student is dangerous enough; let's not give him or her a gun" (p.8)

" had there been a number of people who had been in that classroom with guns, [there could have been] additional persons killed just as a result of poor judgment calls."

On allowing teachers to arm: "As a society, do we really want our teachers to be prepared to shoot children, perhaps killing them? ... what about the student that merely flashes a gun threateningly?... In how many of those instances would an armed teacher have been tempted to shoot the student because of a perception of danger?"

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ATFE sets record straight

Bloomberg and his "mayors" have been claiming that the present ATFE budget rider somehow restricts ATFE from releasing trace data to local police (in fact, they're upset because it restricts releasing the data for purposes of their filing of civil suits against gunmakers, but they claim it impairs law enforcement use. Here's one example: "Dozens of mayors from around the country gathered Tuesday to urge the new Democratic Congress to fight crime by allowing wider tracking of illegal guns." Here's another: "When handguns with bullets that can pierce body armor showed up on the streets of New Jersey, Sen. Frank Lautenberg asked federal regulators to share data that could help local police figure out where the weapons were coming from. That information, the New Jersey Democrat was told, is off-limits....Insisting that gun trace data is an essential crimefighting tool for cities, Bloomberg used his own funds as seed money, formed Mayors Against Illegal Guns and made repealing Tiahrt's amendment its number one issue this year."

ATF director Michael Sullivan has released an Op-Ed setting the record straight:

"During the past several weeks, numerous questions and articles have arisen in the media, regarding the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to share firearms trace data among members of the law-enforcement community. With the recent tragic events surrounding the senseless criminal use of firearms; I felt the need to clarify this important issue.
.......
Our agency routinely shares trace data with state and local law-enforcement agencies in support of investigations within their respective jurisdictions. Once a requesting agency receives law-enforcement-sensitive trace data from ATF, it becomes the agency's data to disseminate and share with other law-enforcement entities as it deems appropriate.

Let me be clear: neither the congressional language nor ATF rules prohibit the sharing of trace data with law enforcement conducting criminal investigations, or place any restrictions on the sharing of trace data with other jurisdictions once it is in the hands of state or local law enforcement. In fact, multi-jurisdictional trace data is also utilized by ATF and shared with fellow law-enforcement agencies to identify firearm-trafficking trends and leads. Additionally, nothing prohibits ATF from releasing our own reports that analyze trace-data trends that could be used by law enforcement."

[Hat tip to SAF email alerts]

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Brady Campaign on what it wants (for now)

Here's their press release:

"Pass the NICS Improvement Act, introduced by Representative Carolyn McCarthy. This legislation provides funding incentives for states to provide appropriate records to strengthen the information in NICS. --

Require background checks for all gun sales, not just those from federally licensed dealers. --

Rescind the requirement requiring that records of Brady background checks be destroyed within 24 hours of purchase approval. --

Impose a waiting period under the Brady Law, to allow time to do accurate and complete review of appropriate records. --

Reinstate the Federal ban on ammunition magazines of larger than 10 rounds that expired along with the Federal assault weapons ban in 2004, and pass a ban on military-style assault weapons. --

Repeal the so-called "Tiahrt Amendment," which as an annual appropriations rider bars the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from sharing data on the sources of guns used in crimes. --

Require that new semi-automatic handguns be equipped with technology to allow police to quickly match shell casings found at a crime scene to the handgun from which they were fired. This technology, known as"microstamping," would enhance law enforcement's ability to rapidly solve gun crimes."

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A bit ghoulish....

"Hopes That Massacre Will Spark Treaty"

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Antigunners object to memorial statute

Antigunners in the most literal sense. Michelle Malkin has the story. Navy SEAL Danny P. Dietz won a posthumous Navy Cross for a gun battle against the Taliban. The city of Littleton proposed a statue in his memory -- and people objected because it showed him holding ... a rifle.

"They should be putting up a peace dove instead."

Hat tip to The Bitchgirls.

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Story about Kennedy bodyguard arrest in 1986

Story here. I was in DC when it happened. The fellow walked into a Senate building with two subguns, a pistol, and sufficient ammo. Oops!

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Feinstein has a MAJOR conflict of interest

Story here. Wonder why the MSM has carried nothing on it?

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Mystery -- Amer for Gun Safety website down

The website of Americans for Gun Safety (the antigun group founded by Monster.com millionaire Andrew McKelvey) shows only "Account for domain www.americansforgunsafety.com has been suspended." It's reportedly been like that for days. Anyone have any idea why?

Update in light of comments: www.third-way.com, set up by the Third Way Institute, is underwritten by the Tides Center. Here's the webpage on the support. Tides is famous for pumping money to left causes, and also for serving as a nonprofit money laundering outfit. If a person or group wants to finance a cause, but might be embarassed by that being known, they give to the Tides Center with a stipulation that it go to the cause. It appears that AGS's supporters really like to keep things secret, since these funds go from Tides to Third Way to AGS.

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Brady Campaign and Parker v. DC

Brady has long been claiming it only backs "reasonable" gun laws. In Parker v. DC, the DC Circuit indicated that maybe handgun registration might be OK, but total prohibition (and requiirement that guns be kept disassembled so as to be useless in self-defense) was not.

Brady's reaction?:

“The 2-1 decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Parker v. District of Columbia striking down the District of Columbia’s handgun law is judicial activism at its worst. By disregarding nearly seventy years of U.S. Supreme Court precedent, two Federal judges have negated the democratically-expressed will of the people of the District of Columbia and deprived this community of a gun law it enacted thirty years ago and still strongly supports.

“This ruling represents the first time in American history that a Federal appeals court has struck down a gun law on Second Amendment grounds. While acknowledging that ‘reasonable restrictions’ to promote ‘the government’s interest in public safety’ are permitted by the Second Amendment, the two-judge majority substituted its policy preferences for those of the elected representatives of the District of Columbia. ”

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Falling for false flag operations

I've mentioned (as has practically every gun blogger) the Jim Zumbo controversy. I haven't gone into it too much, since (1) I've never heard his name before (I'm a shooter, but have little time to hunt and less to read hunting writers) and (2) while I disagreed with what he said, he already was taking a ton of flak over it and didn't need more.

But I'd like to deal with a related issue. Bill Schneider, at New West, has an article, "NRA Destroys Longtime Friend. Full of terms such as "gun rights zealots" and a statement that Zumbo's comment "makes sense to most Americans," and "To me, it seems like outdoor writers are giving the black rifle Gestapo their victory with their silence. And not just writers. Where is the outrage from millions of hunters who agree with every word Zumbo posted on his blog? "

So I looked up Schneider's previous writings. What they illustrate is how the opposition can use this fault line to divide and conquer, and also how easily the hunter-only side of it can be led to fall for "false-flag" operations (Supposedly pro-gun groups actually set up and controlled by antigun organizations).

In "Saving hunters from the NRA" he endorsed the American Shooters & Hunters' Assoc., which is a prominent "false flag" operation. The group "had almost no members and a mere half-million in the bank, but planned on an aggressive membership drive. And aggressive it must be to make any dent in the NRA's body armor. " (Hmm--no members, yet half a million in the bank? Might that lead one to wonder where it came from?) "Hardcore gun owners will remain skeptical, but many hunters who feel burned by the NRA will probably be hopeful this is reality instead of hype."

As I've noted previously, the Amer. Shooters & Hunters group was founded by a Brady Campaign director, and Cam Edwards has a full rundown of its creation.

In "NRA Doesn’t Represent Both Hunters and Gun Owners" he responded to readers who'd said he'd been duped by the group... "I really don't know if the AHSA truly represents the rights of gun owners, but that wasn't the point of the article. The point was: Imagine a little group like this trying to take on the goliath of politics. To this, I say dream on!... In looking at today's political landscape, it seems like we might need another group to step up and save hunting before the NRA destroys it." Then he quotes the "GunGuys" blog, which is another antigun "false-flag" operation. "In response to Wray's original articles, the Gun Guys website where "everybody is a straight shooter," agreed: "One of the reasons we exist is simply to set the record straight on gun issues. For years the NRA has fed lies to the American people because it advances their agenda."

Uh--the GunGuys was long ago exposed as a front for the antigun Joyce Foundation. More data here and here.

The controversy underscores something for me. I can understand there are sometimes conflicts between hunting-only and gun rights, if only because a pro-gun rights legislator may be anti-conservation, or putting resources into one means you can't put resources into the other. (There can even be conflicts within hunting-only: increasing hunting license fees makes hunting more costly, but increases funding for game conservation, restricting off road vehicles may make hunting areas more pristine but makes hunting unavailable to those who can't hike for miles).

Yes, I can appreciate the virtues of a traditional rifle and those who value them. I love the US Krag, and have some interesting 1930s conversions of them into deer rifles. The ingenuity of some of the work is astonishing -- mounting an adjustable peep sight on the cocking knob, for instance. I also happen to like my AR-15 -- the challenge of making a really accurate semi-auto is interesting. The problem here is that folks who like the first may assume (as traditionalists) that traditional values apply. People may be taken at their word. The other side is not obsessive, but has rational limits. If they say they only dislike AR-15s and certain handguns, they must mean it. There are no "false flag" operations. A group with shooters and hunters in their name is a group of shooters and hunters, and a blog named "The Gun Guys" must be run by gunnies.

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Post on Brady Campaign

The Free Market News Network has a fine post on Brady's tactics.

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Brady Campaign and scope sights

Sebastian at Snowflakes in Hell has the story.

Via The Bitchgirls.

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This is the best they can do?

California proposes requiring barrels to be microstamped, or should I say microstampers, so as to engrave their gun's serial number on a bullet.

California Brady Campaign "strongly" endorses it. While acknowledging it may not lead to catching a criminal shooter, who "could have gotten that gun illegally," but "if we can go back to the original purchaser or the original dealer of that gun then we can stop some further trafficking of guns to prohibited purchasers."

So in most cases, they'll be able to find the dealer who sold to the person from whom it was stolen. That will be valuable, I'm sure.

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Brady gets stung

Snowflakes in Hell has the story. Brady Campaign releases a report naming alleged criminal, or at least suspicious, gun dealers ... and it turns out that a dealer listed was operating a sting in cooperation with BATFE.

[Via Instapundit]

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Third mayor leaves Bloomberg group

Mayor Kevin Jackson has become third mayor to quit the Bloomberg group.

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US Attorneys slap down Bloomberg

VCDL has the report.The Exec Office of US Attorneys informs the mayor that they will not prosecute any of the dealers he targeted, and warns that his engaging in "stings" without law enforcement authorization could jeopardize real operations and expose him and the city to liability.

The latter is pretty apparent. The dealers would have the defense that they didn't realize that the gun was going to the person who didn't sign the forms, but the buyers have no such defense -- they knew exactly that that was the plan. So there's no doubt that the buyers broke the Gun Control Act, and that those who set them to it were liable as aiders and abettors, not to mention on a conspiracy theory. I'd assume that Bloomberg and company (1) figured it was worth it for the publicity and (2) figured that the laws don't apply to the rich and powerful. They may just have been right on both.

Update: here's the NY Daily News story.

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Another mayor withdraws from Bloomberg group

Achorage Mayor Mark Begich:

"I do support the efforts to strengthen laws and prosecute individuals who dispense or use illegal guns, and getting them out of the hands of criminals. However, upon further review of the coalition, it appears they may have a different agenda than I anticipated.

I am concerned the coalition is working on issues that conflict with the beliefs we share in Alaska about legal gun ownership, and I'm also concerned gun ownership advocates are not part of the full discussion within the coalition. We cannot afford to risk protecting our Bill of Rights and the rights of legal gun owners."

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A hard hit at Philadelpha mayor

In the Philadelphia Bulletin. An excerpt:

"The mayor noted the additional "problems" more police would bring to the city. More police, for instance, would mean more arrests for an already grievously overcrowded prison system. This is already burdening the city with costs it can't afford in addition to more court costs for prosecuting the criminals.

Which means the mayor is not against crime or criminals. He does not want a safer city. He wants to save money. The easy way to do that is with another gun law-- which he will not enforce."

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Bloomberg anti-cop?

The NY Press picks up on Cam Edwards' posting on the subject.

Here's a bit of detail: Daniel Enchautegui was an NYPD officer who was awakened by sounds of a break-in next door. He called 911, was told backup was coming. It wasn't. The 911 operator apparently did nothing.

He went to the scene, was fatally shot by the burglars, but managed to wound them both. His family is now suing the city, and the city is stonewalling attempts to get at the 911 tapes.

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Brady equivocates on self-defense

In the Gainesville Times:

"Incidents like last week's shooting "are definitely being played up to justify this slew of fake self-defense laws," said Zach Ragbourn, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "I know if this (incident) happened two years ago, the result would have been the same. Police and prosecutors are not evil people bent on trying to put citizens away. A righteous shooting is a righteous shooting."

Ragbourn believes the new laws could serve to provide a defense for a criminal who kills someone in a shootout by claiming he feared for his safety. He said the Brady Campaign has never been opposed to the use of firearms for legitimate self-defense purposes.

"There are absolutely times when you have to defend yourself," Ragbourn said. "We do say that while there is legitimate value to gun ownership, the value doesn't always outweigh the risks."

Guns in homes are 22 times more likely to cause harm to the residents than to be used in defense of those homes, Ragbourn said."

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American Shooters & Hunters Assn and the media

I've mentioned American Shooters & Hunters Association -- which is basically an antigun group flying false colors, here and here and here. For Pete's sake, it's not even a good "false colors" operation: it was founded by a Brady Campaign director, with Brady's agenda.

ABC News just ran a piece on Bloomberg's mayors' group, claiming that it's a "gun rights group":

"The head of the American Hunters and Shooters Association, Ray Schoenke, said that gun rights "extremists," including the National Rifle Association, have taken positions that have "tarnished" the reputations of hunters and shooters... He is the first gun rights advocate to join the mayors in their cause."

Welcome fellow Instapunditers! Take a look at the main blog, and if you're a voting NRA member, my board elections roundup of all relevant blogs and webpages. If you're into the Second Amendment, you might take a look at my new documentary film on it.

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Bloomberg group speaks with forked tongue

The NY Times doesn't note, of course, the two quotes in its puff-piece story:

"Members of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns insisted that they respected the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Mr. Bloomberg said he was not trying to curb existing gun rights. “That’s ideological nonsense and we’ve just got to move past it,” he said.

and later, after saying the Mayors announced a legislative task force....

"The task force says it will also “work to enact common sense measures” to stem the flow of illegal guns, officials said."

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Brady Campaign going after Firearm Owners Protection Act

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center and former mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., said the ATF had been greatly weakened by pro-dealer legislation Congress passed, including some laws dating to 1986. For example, if ATF agents make a surprise visit to a gun shop suspected of breaking the law, they are not allowed to make another surprise visit for 12 months, Helmke said. During that period, the ATF must warn the dealer in advance that they are coming."

Bullpucky. I'll put the real law in extended remarks below. Essentially:

1. ATF can inspect records anytime it traces a gun to the dealer.

2. It can inspect records anytime it has suspicion a third party (the shooter, or anyone who transferred to him) broke the law.

3. What's left is records where ATF has NO reason to believe the gun sold is linked to a crime. The reason for inspecting those is just to ensure the dealer is keeping his books correctly. That they can do, but no more than once a year.

Continue reading "Brady Campaign going after Firearm Owners Protection Act"

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Brady Campaign and cooking the books

The Conservative Voice fisks the Brady Campaign's statistics.

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Brady chapter head: too many gun shows

From a letter to the editor:

" am concerned about the alarming number of gun shows scheduled for Solano County in 2007.
I'm sure we are all aware of the rising level of senseless gun violence in America. I understand that many citizens feel the need to own guns for protection. However, scheduling gun shows for March, June, September, October and November is a bit excessive. ....I have recently become involved with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence by starting a chapter in West Contra Costa County. I believe there should be a Solano County chapter."

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Joyce Foundation, once again

Alphecca has a great post on how the Joyce Foundation is financing anti-gun studies at the Harvard School of Public Health.

I've discussed the $700 million Joyce Foundation before. They're using their millions to create fake grassroots groups, generate studies, stir up campaigns, you name it. They're financing Bloomberg's mayors group, putting $380,000 into the "Legal Community Against Gun Violence", funding "Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence", essentially buying issues of the Stanford Law & Policy Review and other law reviews.

Via Instapundit, which also has this earlier posting on the purchase of law reviews.

[Welcome, Instanpundit readers. I might suggest you take a look at my documentary film on the right to arms (there's a link in the left margin), which stars Prof. Reynolds, not to mention Gene Volkh, Randy Barnett, and many others. It has a Wikipedia page here that sums up the content.

Update--link fixed. Thanks.

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Taking Brady to task

Ohioans for Concealed Carry does a good job of it.

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Anti-Bloomberg rally in DC 1/23/07

Countertop describes the VCDL rally planned for January 23, at the DC Capitol Hilton. Bloomberg and his mayors will be meeting at the hotel, and VCDL plans a protest calling for BATF prosecution of Bloomberg for setting up alleged "straw man" sales. My recommendations for travel are in extended remarks.

Continue reading "Anti-Bloomberg rally in DC 1/23/07"

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NRA "Calling out" the Brady Campaign

That's what Instapundit terms it. Here's the release.

"Get a load of what the president of the Brady Campaign recently said while he was in Maine. Paul Helmke let loose with this: "I absolutely don't want to do anything to make it harder for the legitimate hunters or gun collectors or anybody who even wants it for personal protection."

Oh really? Mr. Helmke, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. If you're not opposed to people having guns for self-defense, then I've got an offer for you. Let's make history together. When Congress convenes next year, let's both push for passage of the D.C. Personal Protection Act. This bill would restore the Second Amendment to our nation's capitol, something that I'm sure you support. After all, you don't want to make it harder for people who want a firearm for personal protection, right?

And let's push to end those stupid "one-gun-a-month" laws. Like you said, you don't want to do anything to make it harder for gun collectors, right? Ever try to buy a matching set of pistols in a state with a "one-gun-a-month" law? Good luck. "

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Brady Center on "crime surge"

FBI reports that, after many years of declines, violent crime went up 5%. The Brady Center promptly issued this press release proclaiming it a "a surge in violent crime" and attributing it to guns and less federal money for police.

As to the first: hmmm... funny how crime rates declined for years, as Americans bought more guns.

As to the second: why are cities so dependent on federal funds, for their most basic task of policing their communities?

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Brady Center "grades"

Here's another critique of Brady's grades, noting that states that got a D grade had a larger drop in violent crime than those that got higher grades.

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Brady Campaign on Huffington Post

The head of Brady Campaign has a post at the Huffington Post about its plans & hopes.

One new one: "restricting sales of military style weapons and the ammunition that's used in those weapons."

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More on Bloomberg group mayor pleading to gun charges

I'd earlier blogged how mayor Frank Melton, of Jackson MS, a member of Bloomberg's mayors' group, had plead guilty to illegal gun carry.

Just found this on the FULL set of charges against him. Frankly, the mayor sounds like a mental case, and rather on the dangerous side.

"The most serious of the charges facing the mayor and his bodyguards involve the damage of the duplex on Ridgeway Street in Virden Addition last month. Neighbors allege Melton and unnamed minor boys in his company used sledgehammers to break open the front of the home rented by Evans Welch....Melton and Wright are charged with burglary for allegedly entering the house armed with deadly weapons with the intent to commit a crime."

And that's just the short version. Read the whole thing...

[Udate: abbreviation corrected, thanks...]

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Mayor Against Illegal Guns pleads guilty to illegal gun carry

Perhaps the ultimate case of "rights for me but not for thee..."

Mayor Frank Melton, of Jackson MI, is a member of Bloomberg's mayors group, and just plead guilty to illegally carrying a handgun onto school, and church, property.

The story also notes that he really, really, really, likes to carry. As in he's tried to pack on airplanes and in the US Capitol. Not that I'd complain ... but that's a little hard to reconcile with being a charter member of an antigun organization!

Hat tip to Dan Gifford.

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"Why all the lies?"

A blog asks a very good question.

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Brady grades and crime rates

Here's a paper by Denton Bramwell, studying the relationship between the Brady Campaign's grading of state gun laws, and the homicide rates and total violent crime rates, of those states. (pdf file, but small).

If Brady's report cards made any sense (that is, if the legal measures it wants enacted, the type of thing that earns an A grade), then there should be some correlation between grades and violent crime and murder rates. The paper concludes that there is no such correlation at all. At each grade level, states' homicide/violence rates range from low to high, and there is no evidence of any correlation between grades and homicide rates at all. A regression analysis indicated that the relation between Brady grade and crime rate was no better than you would get by running random pairs of data, plucking grades and crime rates out of the air.

Logical conclusion: Enactment or failure to enact Brady's legislative priorities had no correlation to murder rates. If a state were to go from F to A, from virtually no gun control to everything on Brady's agenda, the only result would be a joyful press release from Brady.

It is quite interesting to see an advocacy group impeached by its own grading system.

[Welcome Instanpundit readers! Take a look at the blog in general, or check out my documentary film on the 2nd Amendment, released last week and starring Prof. Reynolds, Gene Volokh, Dave Kopel, and quite a few others.

Permalink · antigun groups

Alas, poor Utah

A Utah antigun group sponors a day of rememberance. "in 2005 Utah received a grade of D- for its laws shielding families from gun violence, from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Utah has no child access prevention laws, no gun safety lock or safety design standard laws, no limitation on assault weapons and magazines or “junk” handguns, no requirement for a license to purchase a gun, no requirement to maintain gun sales records or to register the ownership of a gun, no requirement for background checks on “private” gun sales, and no required safety training for handgun buyers."

Hmm, so let's look at the crime picture in this D- state. Uh -- in that year it had a homicide rate of 2.3, the 42nd lowest in the country (the absolute lowest rate was Vermont, which allows concealed carry without a permit, and the highest rate, 35, was the District of Columbia). In total violence crime it was 47th -- only Vermont, New Hampshire and South Dakota had less violence.

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Edward Welles, early Brady director, dies

Edward Welles, a former OSS/CIA officer who became first Executive Director of what is now the Brady Campaign, has died at age 85.

Brady started out as ... if I remember correctly, the National Council to Control Handguns. It was a very small group until Welles landed Pete Shields, a DuPont vice president, as his replacement. Shields knew organization and PR and put it on the map. In the process, its name changed to Handgun Control Incorporated (because its previous name, and acronym, was too easily confused with National Coalition to Ban Handguns, the other large antigun group). Later Shields recruited the Bradys, after his retirement they named it after themselves.

One of my beefs, BTW, is that the Brady Campaign's website and literature barely acknowledges that Shields existed -- before Brady, there was nothing -- when actually he was the creator of the group as it is today. His counterpart would be Harlon Carter, who largely created the NRA as it is today, and NRA has no trouble remembering him -- he's an honorary life member, the HQ building is named for him, his bronze bust in the its hall, his memory is invoked at every annual meeting. I have trouble understanding why Brady doesn't honor the fellow who put it on the map.

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Joyce Foundation underwriting Bloomberg, too?

Georgiapacking has an interesting page tying together all the links between antigun groups and their financing. From them I got an interesting tip. Joyce Foundation's latest report on their funding of antigun efforts includes a grant of $175,000 to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, "To organize a coalition of mayors from around the country to promote national, state, and local policies, litigation, and law enforcement strategies aimed at reducing the flow of illegal guns into cities."

The Mayor's Fund webpage describes it as the "umbrella not-for-profit corporation of the City of New York," and a 501(c)(3). So now Joyce is not only buying law reviews, and creating "astroturf" grassroots groups, but also funding public officials in their projects.

UPDATE: Welcome Instapundit readers! Take a look at the main blog, where I've blogged the recent George Mason Univ. symposium on the second amendment, and put up a trailer for an upcoming documentary film on the right to arms.

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PA march for more gun control

In Pennsylvania, some organizations have announced a march from Philadelphia to Harrisburg to ask the legislature to enact one-gun-a-month and to create jobs in Philie.

Well, actually, no one is going to walk that distance. They'll walk in relays, so nobody gets too tired. But they hope it gets publicity.

What's strangest to me is the call for the state government to create more jobs. The solution to unemployment in one area is either to lure employers in, or to move out. My father, a construction guy, did the latter quite often. No work in Tucson, but a big project in Yuma, move to Yuma. If you want work in a blighted area, the best solution is probably less government there, not more. Say you lift the sale tax there for a guaranteed number of years. Lift the tax on new improvements (while keeping the tax on land), so that improvements don't up the realty tax, while empty land is still taxed. Allow improvements that raise buildings closer to the modern building code, even if they don't meet it entirely (one barrier to restoring buildings is that any improvement must come up to the present code, which is cost-prohibitive in many older structures. So the owner just lets the old building, which is grandfathered, sit as it is, rather than improving it up to the limit of his budget).

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Brady reacts to House Judiciary action

I gather that House Judiciary reported out the various firearm bills, because Brady Center is criticizing the action.

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Tempest in a teapot

CeaseFire Maryland has issued a press release claiming that one assault rifle is traced every 48 hours in Maryland, proving they need more laws against that manner of thing.

OK, that's 180 guns a year for the entire state. As I've noted earlier, upwards of 90% of ATFE traces aren't in relation to use in crime. (ATFE encourages local police to trace any guns that come into their hands, so they trace recovered stolen and lost guns, guns seized pursuant to a domestic violence restraining order, etc.). So now we're down to under 18 guns a year, for a populous state. Big woof.

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"American Shooters & Hunters Ass'n"

Cam Edwards has a Townhall column up on the subject of this group.

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Joyce Foundation wikipedia page

Wikipedia has an entry dealing with the Joyce Foundation. Hat tip to Kevin Pinto, who came up with the concept.

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Another "grassroots" surrogate of Joyce Foundation

So... I come across a press release today from the Legal Community Against Violence, which claims it was founded by attorneys in response to gun violence, etc., etc., and has created a "a first-of-its-kind publication designed for public officials and advocates working to reduce gun violence across the country."

My first thought: one more Joyce Foundation clone, a supposed "grassroots" organization in fact created by Joyce's millions, and with a membership at best in the dozens. But perhaps I'm too cynical.

Nope. Hop over to Joyce Foundation's webpage and we find among its grants:

"Legal Community Against Violence
San Francisco, CA $380,000
For general support. (2 yrs.)"

And, as might be expected, a search of Legal Comm. Against Violence's own website reveals... not one mention of who are their officers, directors, or how many members they have. In fact, no names at all. One more plywood cutout, backed by Joyce's money.

UPDATE:

Jim Dewey, of Dewey Ex Machina sent the following, which for no reason I can understand got stopped by my spam filter:

LCAV appears to be part of Firearms Law Center [also funded by Joyce]
(from Google.com)

3/4/02 Minutes
Canton, OH

FIREARMS LAW CENTER
SUE ANN L. SCHIFF, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, &
SAYRE WEAVER, LEGAL DIRECTOR
268 BUSH STREET #555
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94104

Permalink · antigun groups

Brady Campaign and criminal case

Cokehead and his dealer are alone in a room, fight breaks out, cokehead fatally beats dealer with a metal lamp. Prosecutors charge murder and, during trial, plead it to manslaughter.

According to Brady Campaign, it was due to the new castle doctrine law: "The reason: Kentucky's new "shoot first" law, pushed by the National Rifle Association in multiple states this year after passing it in Florida last year. "It has created some problems," the prosecutor, Ray Larsen, told the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader. "This case is a prime example.""

News reports suggest a slightly different story: "Last week, Circuit Judge Sheila Isaac rejected a defense motion to dismiss Clem's murder charges because of a recently enacted "home-intruder" law that grants immunity to somebody who uses deadly force against a robber or attacker."

Continue reading "Brady Campaign and criminal case"

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Joyce Foundation at it again -- Stanford Law Review

I've posted before on how the antigun Joyce Foundation was using its millions to, essentially, rent law reviews as fora for second amendment attacks. It'd invested in symposium issues of the Chicago-Kent Law Review and Fordham Law Review, getting them to bring in outsiders as symposium editors, inviting only anti-second amendment articles, and then paying for copies to distribute to judges and legislators. Understand, most law reviews run on a shoestring. Authors are unpaid, editors get a pittance ($600 a year when I did it). Some tax-exempt place comes in and offers tens of thousands, it's unprecedented.

The spring issue of the Stanford Law and Policy Review is coming out with a symposium issue on, you guessed it, gun laws and the second amendment. So I did a bit of research and found this note on Joyce Foundation's homepage, under its 2004 grants:

"Ohio State University Foundation
John Glenn Institute for Public Service & Public Policy
Columbus, OH $125,000
To host a symposium at Stanford Law School on the connections between the Second Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment, to publish papers in a major law review, and disseminate findings via the Web. (2 yrs.)"

Continue reading "Joyce Foundation at it again -- Stanford Law Review"

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Article on American Shooter & Hunter Assn

Here's a column in the Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette touting the American SHA. As I've noted previously (see archives under antigun groups), the group was set up by antigunners to pose as a pro-gun group. As might be expected, the column here furthers that, insisting that it's formed as a moderate group standing between NRA and Brady Campaign.

Wonder where their startup money came from? Read somewhere they started with half a million in the bank. Pretty hard to find that, when you have no members at the outset.

Anyway, the column notes correctly that one founder of the group "co-founded Stop Handgun Violence and is a former board member with the Brady Campaign. " It claims of the other, "Ricker, a former chief lobbyist for the NRA, who in recent years has testified in lawsuits by the NAACP and cities against the gun industry" who "parted company with the NRA because of its all-or-nothing mentality."

Might as well set the record straight. I knew Bob Ricker when he worked for NRA. He wasn't the "chief lobbyist." He was an attorney working under the General Counsel for some short period (maybe a year, my memory is imperfect here). Then he and Richard Feldman formed a group established by the gun manufacturers, and were with that for some years.

You've got to understand that the manufacturers and NRA rarely see eye-to-eye. The Mfrs see things as a business. If a gun law doesn't hurt your profits, no problem. Even a complete ban is OK, so long as it affects someone else's guns (Assault weapons bans are perfectly OK, unless you're Colt ... and even then it just means taking the flash suppressor off, in exchange for your prices skyrocketing). And don't look at the long run! The fiscal year is the question. So the manufacturers' group signed on with a variety of gun legislation and were actively promoting it.

Eventually, NRA brought the mfrs to their senses. I forget whether the group was dissolved, or its leaders fired, but it was one or the other. Ricker was out of a job. He found one testifying as an expert witness for the cities suing the gun manufacturers. And now he's heading up this group. But to describe him as a former chief NRA lobbyist, who parted company over its positions, is creative writing.

[Update: I got an email from someone mentioned here -- unfortunately, I get tons of spam and had their email sender, usa.com or something like that, blocked. The blocked msgs get deleted automatically, so I have no idea of its content. If you'll resend, I've taken that url off the block list).

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Michael Moore is sued by disabled vet

The NY Post reports that Michael Moore has been sued for $85 million by Sgt. Peter Damon. Damon was seriously injured in Iraq and wound up with both hands amputated. Moore (without Damon's consent) incorporated footage of an interview Damon gave NBC.

I don't do Intellectual Property law, but sounds like he has a case -- unless NBC got him to sign a wide-open release allowing them to do anything with the footage. From what I understand, that's rare. NBC is going to look after covering themselves -- if someone later buys rights to the footage, they have to look up the person filmed and get his permission for their use.

Moore has more than just that one suit coming. He also used footage (obtained under unknown conditions) of a funeral at Arlington with grieving wife. Not to mention that he took a newspaper's letter to the editor (Google for Moore and Pantograph, the name of the paper) and re-typeset it as a headline story.

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Brady hires former Tucsonan as Calif. leader

Brady Campaign has hired Ellyne Bell as California Field DIrector. The press release describes her as "an experienced and creative progressive grassroots organizer and coalition builder."

She used to work here in Tucson as head of the Brewster Center for battered women, and "coalition builder" was not a term that comes to mind.

Here's another article: "Ellyne Bell abruptly resigned from the Brewster Center last week, just before City Councilmember Steve Leal did the right thing with a community sit-down that resulted in restoration of domestic violence services at El Pueblo Neighborhood Center... The Brewster crew has a long way to go to repair the damage done by the union-busting tactics they've happily practiced. .... Brewster, sadly, is typical of many in the non-profit Mafia that soak up dollars for big salaries, toot their own horns and then don't deliver."

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Brady v. NRA annual meetings

This weekend is the annual NRA meeting, and by coincidence also the Brady Campaign annual get-togther. The contrast between the two meetings is, I think, rather interesting.

The NRA meeting is usually attended by 20-30-40,000 people. It rotates around the country -- last year at Houston, this year Milwaukee. The meeting itself is free. The banquet is attended by several thousand and costs $75.

The Brady gathering is attended by a few hundred, located in D.C., and costs $250 per plate.

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Million Moms

The Million Moms March traditionally rallied on Mother's Day. This Mother's Day, apparently their only event involved handful of people in Eugene, OR.

The article notes " A year later, the group merged with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, advocating for tougher gun laws..."

Of course, there might be another reason for the merger...

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Bloomsburg's mayors' conference

I agree with Bitter's assessment: at least one of the mayors attending the antigun mayor's conference sounds certifiably insane.

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New chairman at Brady

The Brady Campaign has announced that Paul Helmke will take over as their president. He replaces former Congressman Michael Barnes. Helmke was mayor of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and lost in the congressional primary against Rep. Souter. Basically, their leadership is changing from an antigun Democrat to an antigun Republican.

I can remember back to when it was the National Council to Control Handguns. Then (because the name was too close to the National Coalition to Ban Handguns) it became Handgun Control Inc., and then the Brady Campaign. In its first incarnation, curiously, it argued that gun registration, permits, etc. are useless against crime -- back then it had hopes of a handgun ban, and feared that these would be used to head off that move.

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"License to murder"

Here's a new antigun (anti-self-defense) webpage entitled License To Murder, claiming that "Castle Doctrine" laws allow people to " kill another person just because they look "suspicious,"" and "allow people to open fire without consequence."
I would think that a law creating a presumption of self-defense where an aggressor has violently and illegally entered a home requires a bit more than his "looking suspicious"...

It is supposedly posted by Freedom States Alliance. Here's their "about" webpage. FSA claims to be a "grassroots" organization, yet nowhere on its pages can you find one human name. Looking up the domain name on whois.com indicates it is registered anonymously via Domains by Proxy. So this supposedly grassroots group is going to unusual efforts to hide who or what is behind it.

Hmmm... the organizations that receive its money are mostly antigun groups that have been receiving Joyce Foundation funds. The links to other gun issues are to issues that Violence Policy Center, another Joyce-bankrolled group, have been pushing. I smell another Joyce front, a fake grassroots organization created by the Foundation's millions.

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Mayor's Summit

The Boston Globe reports on the Mayors' summit. It can be summed up as "more of the same."

UPDATE: Bloomberg's press release is in the extended entry below. It's interesting in that just about every discussion of "this is what some city has done, and it worked" comes under the heading of enforcing an existing law -- crackdowns on felons, illegal traffickers, intense patroling of high-crime areas, etc.

Continue reading "Mayor's Summit"

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Marion Barry takes the dive again

Gun Week also reports that former DC mayor Marion Barry has taken a second felony dive (the first being for cocaine in the 1990s). This time he plead out to income tax evasion .... he failed to file returns for five years during which his income was estimated at over half a million, and the amount he stiffed IRS was estimated at around $195,000.

Being well connected politically must be nice. Even tho he had a prior, he was allowed to plead to misdemeanor, and he got probation, no jail, and no fine.

Here's a WashPo article on it, noting that his salary as a city councilman is being garnished to pay a judgment awarded to a woman who said he assaulted and exposed himself to her.

Washington DC: too small for a state, too big for an asylum.

Gateway Pundit has a post on it -- "And Barry Makes Six." Actually, Florida state Senator Gary Siplin, NRA F-rated, makes seven. Hmm.. and Robert C. Janiszewski, the NJ state chairman for Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, makes eight.

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Brady Campaign survey

Pretty funny... go to the Brady Campaign's latest online survey, and click in whatever answers you want.

On the next page, click on the hypertext for see how other viewers answered the questions. On the next page, note that 77% gave "other" for what is of most concern to them, then click on the link for "view all responses," and go down to, oh, late March.

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One more "this is pitiful" moment

This one from Canada:

Anti-gun activist's son arrested
Police find two guns hidden in man's pants

Story here.

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Joyce Foundation analogy

I've posted before on the Joyce Foundation, which was started by a timber company family, originally to provide benefits to lumberjacks, and now is pumping millions into antigun causes.

How did it get that way? Here's an article on the Ford Foundation, which started out as a family foundation directed at Detroit-area charitable causes, such as a hospital. Today it has billions in assets, hands out half a billion a year, and virtually none of that goes to Detroit causes. The last family member resigned from the board decades ago in disgust, and it's now run out of headquarters in New York City by what can be described as professional foundation administrators.

[Via Instapundit]

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Problems for a Brady stalwart

Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who draws a 92% agreement rating from Brady Campaign and an F from NRA, has a bit of a problem. As in Capitol Hill Police seeking an arrest warrant in the wake of her assault on an officer.

[Answer to Gully's comment: national legislators are privileged against arrest, while travelling to or attending Congress, except for "treason, felony, and breach of the peace." The last exception would cover assault on an officer. Basically, they're protected against arrest for nondisruptive misdemeanors. Once read of one squeaking out of a DUI arrest on it.]

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Brady Campaign--fall of Berlin Wall will live in infamy?

Update: Countertop links to this WashPo interview of the Bradys.

It leads off with a bit of a slip. At least, I think it was a bit of a slip. When asked about Reagan's legacy, the Bradys reply: "I think the coming down of the Berlin Wall will always live in infamy." (I am not kidding, that's what it says).

Some interesting quotes:

"We do not support gun bans unless a locality has voted it in themselves." (Hmm... I guess that means they don't support one city trying to ban guns in a different city. That excludes a lot).

In answer to a question about why then they supported a *Federal ban* on "assault weapons: "I was speaking of bans on all firearms."

To a question about states liberalizing CCW: "We believe that permits for carrying concealed weapons should be issued only if the local law enforcement or courts approve."

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Brady Campaign

Brady Campaign is marking the 25th anniversary of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan with an announcement of their new legislative agenda. Which is their old legislative agenda. Use mayors as PR tools, make the gun issue a political consideration, enact laws restricting gun dealers, one gun a month and background checks at gun shows.

In sum: more PR and the same bills they've been unable to get enacted over the last ten years.

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Rave shooting and "American Shooters & Hunters Assn"

In the wake of the Washington "Rave" shootings, the local media has (rather slowly, compared to past years) gone into customary mode. They are somewhat inconvenienced by the fact that the killer used a shotgun (but can at least take comfort in the fact that it had a pistol grip type stock), is not reported to have bought it at a gun show, had owned it for years, it wasn't an assault rifle nor a handgun, etc.

Still, the Seattle Post article above makes a game try, arguing that the killer *owned* other guns.

It also plugs the American Hunters and Shooters Ass'n, telling us that it's composed of shooters who want "commonsense" gun laws.

In fact, it was founded by John Rosenthal, who was on the Brady Center's board of directors. (He claims he left it in 2004 because he was frustrated by its support for the DC handgun ban. If so, he must have a high tolerance for frustration, since he was on the board for six years. A more likely explanation is that he was designated to found the new group, in an effort to split the shooting community). And it's run by a Demo consulting from, the DCS Group. Here's more from Countertop and from The Bitch Girls.

Its agenda is the same as Brady's. Looks like a proposal to extent Massachusetts' laws nationwide.

Here's Gunlawnews' great investigation of the group. The url was initially registered by DCS, which represents John Conyers, Nancy Pelosi, etc. The president of AHSA is a donor to Bill Clinton, the Brady Campaign, Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, Diane Feinstein, etc.

But according to the Seattle newspaper, it's a bunch of shooters and hunters. Who says you can't trust the mainstream media?

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Another "This is pitiful moment"

"Anti-Gun Activist Arrested On Gun Charge". More here.

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Brady Campaign tactics

From the Wellstone Institute comes an interesting article on Brady's tactics. An interesting one is to call members, pep them up, then patch them thru to a legislator.

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Drop in licensed gun dealers

The antigun Violence Policy Center is rejoicing that the number of licensed firearms dealers has fallen from 245,000 to 54,000 since 1994.

In the original Gun Control Act of 1968, getting a license was made easy, for the simple reason that dealers have to record sales (and today do background checks), etc., so why not encourage licensing? A fair number of people got licenses just to buy for themselves or a few friends. Then in 1994 Congress (now figuring that TOO MANY people were complying with these standards) made it considerably more difficult -- among other things, requiring compliance with local zoning codes (which usually forbid businesses from operating in residential areas).

So just what problem does VPC have with small-time licensees? They call them "illegitimate "kitchen-table" dealers who operated out of their homes or offices," adding "an unknown percentage of which were actively involved in criminal gun trafficking." Unknown of course = none that we know of. I suspect the bottom line is -- it was a good publicity angle.

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China cites Brady Campaign

China's State Council has released a report attacking American's human rights record, and it cites the Brady Campaign.

UPDATE: the People's Daily is, surprise, carrying the story. With the note that 10% of the US population has been shot. Now, maybe my experience is unusual pacific, but 10% of the people I know have not been shot. In fact, I have some experience via studies and the criminal justice system, and 10% of the people shot at have not been shot.

As far as the homcide rate in China -- I have no idea, but any figures are purely what the government is willing to admit. Until the fall of the Soviet Union, its reported homcide rates were quite low. Today we know that most of the formerly Soviet republics in fact have rates much higher than those of the US. MUCH higher.

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Brady Campaign grades the states

The Brady Campaign has issued its annual press releases announcing the grades it gives different states. So just as an experiment I checked out the States with the *lowest* homicide rates.

Maine, with the lowest rates in the country, draws a D-.

South Dakota, with the second-lowest homicide rate, draws a D.

New Hampshire, the third lowest, gets a D-

The Brady grading criteria give an interesting insight into the question "what do these folks want in the way of laws" (or perhaps more precisely, what are they willing to say they want). Included are, oh, one handgun a month, attorney general able to regulate guns, ballistic fingerprinting, parents punishable for gun access by children, cities able to sue gun mfrs, registration of all guns and permit requirements for handguns, bans on "saturday night specials," backround checks on private sales, bans on assault rifles and large magazines, waiting period for any gun sale, etc.. Oh, and no pre-emption law, so localities can impose regulations beyond this.

Even Massachusetts is regarded as imperfect: it gets an A-, getting dinged for (apparently) no rifle registration, and allowing CCW permits at police discretion.

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Timing is important

The WashPo reports that Brady Campaign had ordered a bunch of blaze orange t-shirts marked "Innocent Bystander," and had them in hand just before the Cheney hunting accident. They figured it was a good time to send them to the White House (after, of course, tipping the press), but after the guy on the receiving end of the shot experienced a heart attack, reconsidered, and finally sent a few to the press secretary (after, presumably, tipping only the Post).

I suppose we should be grateful for their (almost, anyway) showing of good taste. The explanation that "The message of gun safety was lost in this story," would be more understandable if Brady had, oh, a single hunting safety or gun safety instructor.

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Brady Campaign getting ever more desperate

Wyoming is proposing a no-retreat law similar to that of Florida, and the Brady Campaign press release sounds rather desperate. Now it describes the Florida law: "alternatively as the "Shoot First law," "Wild, Wild West law," or "Make my Day" law" (make up your mind!) and says it "made Florida a virtual laughingstock." Then it cites to the duty to retreat, from "AmJur." AmJur is an ancient legal encyclopia--I assume they meant AmJur 2d.

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Yet another this is pitiful moment

Illinois governor Blagojevich has sent a press release announcing a push for a .50 caliber rifle ban and a state ban on "assault rifles." It's full of bombast and mis-statements, but I found some humor in the Brady spokesman quotation:

"We are grateful for their efforts to keep us safe from the threat posed by weapons with a high capacity magazine, silencer, automatic trigger with a pistol grip and the other dangerous features of such insidious weapons,” said Jennifer Bishop of the Brady Campaign To Prevent Handgun Violence."

Automatic trigger ... a dangerous pistol grip ... silencer ... gad, you'd expect their designated spokesman to know a *little* about what they want to outlaw. But then, apparently neither does the governor, who quotes her.

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Another "this is pitiful moment"

In New Jersey, the Million Moms March and Brady Campaign cancelled a protest because the weather was too cold.

Oh--and the story notes the organizer is a convicted sex offender. Here's another story on his background. And another, where he complains of the injustice of it all.

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Joyce-sponsored antigun group in Ohio

Chad Baus of the Buckeye Firearms Ass'n has a detailed discussion of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence and how it works to create a "phantom public." Very interesting set of tactics. Apparently it's a tiny organization, a fistful of staffers supported by grants from Joyce Foundation. But the media promotes it as if it were a large public body. Then each of the staffers, when testifying, will identify themselves, not as its staff, but as representing some other segment of the public (doctors, church organizations, whatever is applicable to their general line of work). In the end, three or four people can make themselves sound like a large segment of the public (it helps, of course, that the media plays along with the game).

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Gun Control -- thinking small

An op-ed in WashPo, by a supporter of gun control, raises the point I've made earlier: "But what troubles me most is that the gun control lobby is pouring its resources into battles that probably won't save many lives -- and we're losing even those. ..." The author (who favors handgun prohibition) points out that waiting periods, suits against gun manufacturers, etc. are (even if you assume gun control works) not going to change things measurably.

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Every year...

Every Christmas, back at least to 1975, John Snyder of Citizens' Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, has sent out a card along these lines, and every year for 30 years now it's gotten press.

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And Brady weighs in...

The Brady Campaign has predictably endorsed proposals to make the N.Y. gun laws even stricter.

So let's see... they just want moderate, sensible laws, but support the DC near-total ban, and think New York's laws are too loose.

Actually, take a look at their mission statement. They are "are dedicated to creating an America free from gun violence" and "believe" that this can be "achieved without banning all guns." The only limit they put on seeking zero gun violence is that it may not require a total ban on all firearms. But even that is expressed as a belief that they could achieve the goal short of that, not as a committment to refrain from pushing that far.

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Bad week for animal rights extremists

Cam Edwards reports that four animal rights types were arrested for hunter harrassment in New Jersey. Added to the six federal arrests for eco-terrorism in the Northwest, it makes it a bad week for animal rights extremists.

A friend of mine had the best response to hunter harrassment. The friend pointed out the harrassers rarely know much about the outdoors, and often wear shorts, short-sleeve shirts, etc. So as they follow you you cut through the worst brambles you can find. After they are quite lacerated, you take them back into the most isolated, confusing terrain around. Then you lose them. They haven't mapped the course or scouted it in advance: they were counting on you to lead them back. With any luck, they'll have an authentic overnight wilderness experience, without sleeping bags, food, or water.

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Kopel on anniversary of Brady

Over at Volokh Conspiracy, Dave Kopel has a posting on the 12th anniversary of the Brady Act, and some interesting comments on a story that Bill Clinton told to illustrate its importance. (He claimed that a firearms dealer friend of his had inadvertently sold a gun to an escaped mental patient, who used it in crime, and the friend was not over it to this day. Investigation indicated that the killer was not an escaped mental patient, did not buy the guns, and the dealer, supposedly not over it to this day, had died years before. Other than that, we may suppose, the story was true).

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Brady Campaign on San Fran gun ban

The Brady Campaign has issued a press release proclaiming triumph: "The San Francisco referendum, Sarah Brady said this morning, "sends a very loud message from American urban voters. They are saying the gun violence problem is not going to go away if we don't do something about it. The extreme gun lobby worked very hard to try to defeat the measure, and they got trounced."

Uh... Brady's been trying to portray itself as a supporter of reasonable, moderate, gun laws. But it apparently regards a measure to confiscate all handguns, and forbid future transfers (purchases, inheritance, whatever) of rifles and shotguns as something only "the extreme gun lobby" would oppose... That seems a rather strange definition of "extreme" and "moderate." Unless... no, it couldn't be. I was about to say they were lying.

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Yet another "this is pitiful" moment

A glance at the Million Moms March webpage shows three campaigns:

1) They urge you to contact your Congressman to oppose the manufacturers' liability protection bill: "Together we can make a difference -- we can beat this legislation and Stop the NRA in its tracks." (Given that the bill passed the House by a nearly 2:1 vote last week, it may be a little late for that ... but not too late to take the embarassment off their webpage!)

2) a pitch against .50 rifles and

3) a pitch against that FNH 5.7 mm pistol,

Both of which are distinguished by one thing: neither has ever been used in a crime. Oh, and the 5.7 is supposedly a cop killer, but the manufacturer's web page notes: "All 5.7 x 28 mm restricted ammunition (armor piercing) is sold only to law enforcement and military agencies. This ammunition is only released and shipped from a U.S. Customs controlled custom bonded warehouse (CBW) upon BATFE and U.S. Customs approval. " Without AP, the cartridge is just an underpowered .22 (the .22 Hornet, which came out in the early 1900s, runs rings around it).

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CEO of Brady Campaign resigns, citing stress of losses

ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU QUIT? For Gun Control Advocates, a Losing Streak in Congress

By Daphne Retter, Congressional Quarterly Staff
CQ Today
October 19, 2005

Congress may decide in conference to ease District of Columbia gun restrictions (H.R. 3058). The House will vote Wednesday on shielding gunmakers from liability suits (S. 397). And last year, Congress let the assault weapons ban (P.L. 103-322) expire.

It's enough to make a gun-control advocate quit.

"It's not an easy job to get up every day and duke it out with the gun lobby," Michael Barnes, president and CEO of the Brady Campaign and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said Tuesday, "but it's very important."

Barnes resigned this week.

He conceded that his side of the gun debate is faring poorly on Capitol Hill, but said that's not the whole lobbying picture. "In many states throughout the country, things are moving in our direction," he said.

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Another "this is pitiful" moment

The antigun Violence Policy Center has two themes this month: (1) getting the Washington Redskins to withdraw from an NRA shooting event and (b) the terrible security threat posed by .50 caliber rifles (which have never yet been used in a single offense; the article of course being illustrated by an arabic-looking fellow with a Soviet .51 caliber machine gun.

Ah, for the days when the gun control debate was over halfway serious issues!

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Great response to Brady's PR campaign in Florida

Patrick Semmens has come up with a great response to Brady's PR campaign, where they are trying to scare tourists away from Florida by claiming that its liberalized self-defense rules make things dangerous.

Patrick's response: he's created leaflets warning Washington DC tourists of how dangerous DC's gun laws have made the place. He says he may upgrade them. I'd suggest a quick reference to DC's murder, rape, and robbery rates, compared to some other jurisdiction (they're probably pretty bad even with regard to NY City, but it might be esp. fitting to compare them to those of the state of Florida).

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Thought on Brady Campaign, etc.

Thought: faced with years of defeat, and no end in sight, the Brady Campaign has morphed (as it did once before, ranging out as Handgun Control Inc. into "assault rifle control" when the media began to drive that issue). Now it's becoming anti-self-defense, with its opposition to the Florida statutes liberalizing defense of the home (which statutes make no mention of handguns, guns, or any other implement).

What if the tide had gone the other way, and Brady had essentially gotten all that it claimed it was driving for? Oh, Brady Act, restrictions on gunshows, assault weapons ban renewed or even broadened. Would it have declared its objectives met, or moved on to national registration and permit systems (that it defends the DC handgun ban suggests not, and that an outright ban on handguns, at least, is seen as something praiseworthy). What then?

FoxNews has an interesting report on an organization faced with just that question. Mothers Against Drunk Driving succeeded in what seemed to be its ultimate goal: nationwide lowering of DUI levels from .15 to .12 to .08 (as the article notes, the average alcohol-related accident occurs at .17, and there's no credible evidence that lowering from .12 to .08 affects levels of those accidents). Plus, of course, stiff penalties -- here, mandatory jail, a thousand or so in fines, 90 days' suspension of license, for first offense, and much worse for second). As the article notes, MADD has moved on to pushing proposals to penalize driving after having consumed anyalcohol, if there is a child in the car -- penalties to include loss of custody or even termination of parental rights (i.e., you're legally no longer parent). Even its founder, the story notes, says it is becoming neo-prohibitionist.

Continue reading "Thought on Brady Campaign, etc."

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Brady Ad Campaign

Another contender for the "Pitiful" award...

Brady Campaign is beginning a billboard campaign attacking Florida, as a tourist destination. The claim is that its recent expansion of legal self-defense will make it more dangerous to tourists (or at least those who break into houses, not a common vacation pursuit).

The billboards will go up at various Florida locations, thus reaching only.... people who have already come there as tourists.

This raises a very interesting question -- just what IS Brady's agenda, other than (a) a generalized desire for fewer guns and things associated with them, and (b) fundraising. The FLA law doesn't single out guns -- it's about self-defense. We might ask the same question in the context of Brady's objections to liberalized issuance of CCW permits. What's its objection to people passing a criminal background check, taking training, getting a permit, and then carrying? I thought Brady liked background checkis and permits. Whether a person carries openly or concealed surely can't matter much to Brady's organizational purpose.

The only sense I can see to this is (a) Brady long ago got all it could get in the way of laws; (b) it sure as heck isn't going to get any more within the foreseeable future (between solid GOP control of Congress and the White House, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina); (c) but they can't just lay everyone off and file for corporate dissolution, so they have to come up with billboards against liberalizing self-defense.

The ability of political organizations to survive their purposes is an interesting topic. Might just write about it someday. Planned Parenthood, as I recall, has a budget of hundreds of millions, in a time when you can get condoms in any drugstore. Mothers Against Drunk Driving still holds forth, in a time when the DUI limit is .08 (not too many years ago it was .15), and punishments are about a strict as could be desired (first offence: day in jail, about a thousand in fines, 90 days suspension of license, loss of insurance; refuse the breathalyzer and license is suspended for a year and prosecution can comment on refusal as proof of guilt).

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