All about guns, legislation and politics in New York
Lobby day went well yesterday. The crowd was about the same size as last year despite some bad weather south of Albany and we filled “The Well” again.
Antigun bigot Michelle Schimel was not happy we were coming and sent out a press release hoping to intimidate us. It didn’t work. Schimel decided to go into hiding so none of her constituents could meet with her and by the time I went around to her office the door was closed.
Here are some media reports from around the state:
Mayor Bloomberg is giving his speech right now on his “major” gun control initiative. The main points are:
Plus:
He supports the McCarthy magazine bill.
He’s laying all the blame on Congress for not doing anything about his agenda. He also avoided trashing the NRA.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance sent out an alert regarding A-1479 which was picked up by outdoor writers including Ken Moran at the Post:
“… A bill in New York would redefine “assault weapon” to include many firearms that are commonly used for hunting. Assembly Bill 1479, introduced by Asm. Linda Rosenthal (D-New York), changes the state’s definition of “assault weapon.” The new definition would classify firearms commonly used for hunting, like semi-automatic shotguns that have a thumbhole stock or a pistol grip, as assault weapons … Even more dangerous to sportsmen and gun owners, the bill gives the Superintendent of State Police the authority to regulate and classify additional firearms as “assault weapons” by simply finding that a firearm feature or modification is “particularly suitable for military and not sporting purposes.” …”
A-1479 basically expands the definition of so-called “assault weapons” to just about any semi-auto rifle/pistol which can accept detachable magazines plus many shotguns. It was originally introduced by John Lavelle back around 2004. Linda Rosenthal is just the latest sponsor. Lavelle dropped dead a few years ago and it was picked up by his replacement Matthew Titone who simply reintroduced whatever bills Lavelle had been carrying. Titone was made a fool of on the Assembly floor when the bill came up for discussion because he clearly didn’t read it and didn’t seem to know enough about firearms to understand what it really did. Rosenthal on the other hand doesn’t care. It is part of the antigun bill package the Assembly takes up every year except for last year when they just tried pushing microstamping.
It’s nice USSA did an e-mail blast, but since they don’t actually do anything in New York, their alert could have been better written. It gives the impression the bill is new, which it isn’t, and does not even mention semi-autos which are the main target of this legislation.
Mayor Mike is planning a “major” gun control announcement Monday morning.
I don’t believe he’s going to go for McCarthy’s bill. It’s DOA. I think it’s going to be related to mental health and/or drug abusers. Something that expands what goes into NICS. Maybe mandatory drug testing and psychological examinations for pistol license holders. Whatever the announcement, you can count on it to be obnoxious and totally useless at enhancing public safety.
For some reason Al D’Amato feels compelled to inject himself into the gun control debate. From his op-ed at the LI Herald, “Calls for gun safety must not fall on deaf ears“:
“… Personally, I am a proponent of the Second Amendment, and throughout my career in the U.S. Senate I voted against bills that would have limited an individual’s right to own a gun … “
So how did you earn the D/D- ratings?
“…. However, there are always instances where certain gun-control measures are necessary. For example, I voted in favor of President Clinton’s 1994 measure that limited the manufacture of assault rifles …”
Thanks for the explanation.
“… Over time, we’ve learned that our gun-control system has failed us …”
So, clearly we must expand upon this failure rather than actually try dealing with the problems of violent criminals and cowardly politicans who hide behind them and/or exploit them for political gain?
“… One troubling trend is the increase in the sale of firearms at gun shows. Non-dealers, who can be anyone trying to sell guns they legally own, are allowed to rent a table at a show and sell them. They don’t have to follow federal guidelines and are permitted to sell firearms without checking backgrounds. It’s ludicrous! …”
It’s also a fabricated non-issue Mayor Bloomberg is pushing. Now we know where Al’s been getting his talking points.
“… Bloomberg … outlined a series of steps designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals and those with a history of mental illness. “The law says that drug abusers can’t buy guns,” he said, “but even though Jared Loughner was rejected by the military for drug use and arrested on drug charges, he was able to pass a background check and buy a gun. It should be clear to everyone that the system is broken …””
He just admitted gun control doesn’t work. Why should we expand upon this failure?
“… Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy … announced plans to introduce federal legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines. These magazines enable guns to carry more bullets, and give an attacker more time to fire before reloading …”
They also give citizens more time to act in self-defense against an aggressor or multiple aggressors.
Why is Al trying to inject himself into this issue? It’s tempting to think that he’s just missing the media attention he got while in office, or that he’s gone senile. However, he’s still something of a behind the scenes powerbroker for the RINO-wing of the NY GOP. This bears watching to see if he tries to influence other Republicans.
Some advice from the NYPD on how to deal with active shooters courtesy of the NY Post:
“… “During an actual event, the NYPD recommends avoiding the shooter and evacuating immediately,” said Capt. Michael Riggio of the department’s Counterterrorism Bureau …”
Understandable. Nobody really wants to get involved in a violent confrontation, especially if they don’t have all the facts about the situation.
“… Hiding behind a file cabinet is probably the best “Plan B” — and the Police Department proved it by shooting up different kinds of office furniture …”
Your tax dollars at work.
“… “If no other option is available, and you are confronted with the gunman, we recommend trying to confront him with physical force as quickly and as aggressively as possible,” Riggio said. “Consider using pens, staples, chair legs, anything you can get your hands on, as an improvised weapon.” …”
Improvised weapons? If ever in a SHTF scenario which would you rather have immediately available:
They can’t even bring themselves to mention guns as an option. That’s pathetic.
According to CBS News, “Poll: Americans Remain Split on Gun Control“:
“… Americans remain split on the issue of gun control, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll. The survey finds that Americans have moved slightly in favor of stricter laws in light of the incident … The poll finds that 46 percent of Americans think gun laws should be made stricter, while 38 percent want them to stay the same. Thirteen percent said they thought gun control laws should be made less strict … Even those who live in gun-owning households favor a ban on assault weapon … 54 percent of those Americans favor a ban on assault weapons … The survey also indicates that nearly two in three Americans favor a ban on high capacity clips …”
If this were true, then why does The Politico report, “Barack Obama’s conspicuous silence on guns“?
“Gun control is a perilous issue for President Barack Obama so the push for new restrictions following the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., puts the president in an especially tricky political predicament … he talks about the issue using muted, nonconfrontational tones engineered to avoid alienating gun-friendly voters, a huge proportion of the electorate that has steadily drifted away from Obama … White House officials have remained noncommittal about an effort by liberals in the House and Senate to restrict access to the kind of high-capacity ammunition magazines … When asked whether Obama will take up the issue of guns at next Tuesday’s State of the Union speech — White House officials said they know of no current plans to include the issue in his address …”
How can guns be a perilous political issue if more Americans have moved in favor of more gun control?
This just goes to show out out of touch media dinosaurs like CBS and the New York Times are with the average citizen. Technology has broken their monopoly on disseminating news and information making it easy for the public to see through B.S. like this. They can’t get away with lying and shilling for the antis like they did back in ’94 with the Clinton AWB.
Thoughts on banning guns.
“… we’re asking President Barack Obama to help lead the way …”
“You might have noticed that President Barack Obama has remained conspicuously silent over the issue of gun control … That’s because he realizes public opinion isn’t on his side …”
White Plains Mayor Adam Bradley does not think he should be forced to give up his office just because he was convicted of spousal abuse.
Apparently Mayor Bloomberg does not think he should be removed as a partner in Mayors Against Illegal Guns because of those convictions either.