Bill to Keep Guns out of the Hands of Nuts

Just politicians making a show of doing something. Anybody who really wants one will get a gun. It is abolition of so-called "gun free" zones that is needed -- so responsible people can take out the nut

The deal to tighten up the nation's gun laws for the first time since 1994 is a proof that when the interests of a powerful lobby coincide with an equally powerful politician, Washington can do business.

The bill, brokered between Democratic leaders led by Rep. John Dingell (D) of Michigan and the National Rifle Association, would close some gaping loopholes in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It would also provide $250 million in financial incentives to help states computerize criminal and mental-health records, and it outlines penalties for failing to do so.

Similar bills have languished in Congress over the past three sessions. But after the April massacre at Virginia Tech, in which a student who had been adjudicated as mentally ill killed 32 people, the issue gained new salience – particularly for Representative Dingell. One of Congress's most powerful Democrats, and a former NRA board member, he made improving the NICS system a top priority.

The NRA, which has been repositioning itself since Democrats took control of Congress, needed to show that it is reasonable and wants the current laws to work properly, say political analysts. It also hopes to stave off broader-based gun control.

Yet some critics say the compromise legislation doesn't go far enough because it does nothing to address the so-called "private gun-sale loophole." An estimated 40 to 50 percent of gun sales in the country are made at gun shows and by private individuals who are not required to perform background checks. Others are opposed because the legislation would create an appeals process that would make it easier for prohibited buyers to get their names removed from the NICS database.

Still others are opposed because they contend the appeals process is too cumbersome. But advocates of the compromise say that improving the current system is better than doing nothing, especially if it appears to have a chance of passage. "Anytime a congressman as powerful as Dingell and a lobby as powerful as the NRA can reach agreement, it has a pretty good chance of going through," says Larry Sabato, a political analyst at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "They're quite a team."

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Illinois attacker armed, but sleepy: "Police say that was what happened early Sunday when a suspect allegedly fell asleep on his victim's porch while waiting to attack him. A 26-year-old man told Will County sheriff's police he returned home around 3 a.m., turned on the light and saw a man lying facedown on the floor of his enclosed porch in the 200 block of Peale Street. The man appeared to be sleeping with a shotgun underneath him. According to reports, the man, who was later identified as Robert A. Cardona, woke up as the light came on and began struggling with the resident. But with the advantage of full consciousness, the resident was able to get control of the shotgun and reportedly struck Cardona several times in the face and head with the butt of the weapon. Police say the two men grappled out to the front yard where the resident removed Cardona's black T-shirt during the fight. The melee woke up the resident's girlfriend, who had been sleeping inside. She came outside to see the combatants just as Cardona's jean shorts fell off. The woman "attempted to help her boyfriend (by) jumping on the offender, but was unable to hold on due to his size," according to reports. Cardona reportedly fled west on foot, wearing only gray underwear. The residents told deputies they recognized the intruder from the neighborhood and have had several arguments with him recently. Deputies visited Cardona's last known address and learned he is living at 115 Jessie St. According to reports, deputies were allowed inside that house and found Cardona lying on the floor of a bedroom underneath a blood-covered blanket. Cardona, 21, was arrested and booked into the county jail on charges of home invasion, unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated assault and criminal trespassing."


Ohio fight in home involved ax and gun : "A father credits his 13-year-old son with shooting an intruder with his own gun late Monday at a South Side home. But the man who was shot, Dennis Pixley, 18, Woodcrest Avenue, told police he never had a gun. Adams told police Monday he and his son had returned to the home about 11 p.m. after an outing, and a man holding a gun came onto the front porch, demanded money and forced them inside. He said he was able to ambush the gunman when he went into a closet to look for something. Adams grabbed for a gun, which went off while the two were struggling, police said. Adams told police he also managed to dislodge the intruder’s bulletproof vest at some point in the struggle. Adams said the intruder fell down a flight of stairs and when he went into the kitchen, Adams grabbed the ax off a wall and the intruder grabbed a knife. Adams told officers he was stabbed in the chest, but continued swinging the ax, connecting with the intruder’s shoulder and chest, according to the police report. The intruder grabbed a larger knife and stabbed Adams in the hand, leaving a gash, the report states. As the two struggled over the ax, Adams said his son appeared with a pellet gun. Adams told police he was about to fall down the stairs and yelled at his son to get the intruder’s gun, which he did, firing a shot and wounding him. The pair continued struggling until the intruder ran out."