Debunking the "Four Cities" Murder Myth

 

Urban decay in Detroit from Imgur 

There is an urban myth floating around the Internet under some variation of the title:   The United States is ranked 3rd in Murders throughout the World. But, if you remove just 4 cities from the statistics :

The United States is 3rd in murders throughout the  world.

But if you take out Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC and New Orleans, the United States is 4th from the  bottom for  murders. These 4  cities also have the toughest  gun  control  laws in the United States. This tell you anything?

PS: These cities are also run by DEMOCRATS! Imagine that.

The assertions in the above sound plausible, but they are false.  The United States is not "3rd in murders throughout the world."   This list, though incomplete, shows that their are dozens of countries with intentional homicide rates much higher than the United States, including Russia, Jamaica, South Africa, Brazil,  Ukraine, Latvia, Georgia, and many others.

The crime rate has been dropping in the United States, so the numbers should be even lower now, but looking at the numbers for 2011 shows these numbers of murders in the four cities mentioned:

Chicago murders, 2011 - 431  (The numbers moved up in 2012 to 532)

Detroit murders 2011 - 344

Washington D.C. murders, 2011 - 108

 New Orleans murders 2011 - 200

While Chicago murders are up about a hundred in 2012, it does not make a large difference in the analysis.   The four cities listed have a total of 1,083 murders in 2011.   Total murders for 2011 in the United States were 14,612.  The 1,083 is only 7.4% of the total.  This is not enough of a change to move the position of the  United States international standing on the rate of murder very much, let alone from the mythical "third from the top" to the equally mythical "4th from the bottom".

As with many myths, there is a kernel of truth in the underlying idea.  If you remove the subcultures from the United States that do not originate in Europe, and have no significant numbers in Europe (African American and American Hispanics) the murder rate for the United States falls into the middle of European murder rates.

  ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Women Share Stories of Empowerment from Armed Citizen Project Firearms Training

 

 

The Armed Citizen Project, a Houston-based nonprofit providing training and arms to women and others for personal empowerment and self-reliance, has provided arms training to 150 citizens as of this month, mostly women. 

The group, headed by Kyle Coplen, has released a video showing their most recent training of 50 women and providing personal stories.

 More Here at breitbart.com

PA:Charges Dropped Against Prominent Open Carry Advocate

George Irizarry will get his guns back.

The Hazleton man known for wearing a gun on his hip to demonstrate his Second Amendment rights had all charges dismissed stemming from a Feb. 3 incident in which he drew a gun on a man walking through yards near his home on West Maple Street.

After dismissing the charges following a preliminary hearing Friday afternoon, Magisterial District Judge James Dixon instructed police to return weapons Irizarry surrendered under Dixon's order in July.

 More here

GA:Homeowner shoots Burglar in Face (different version)

NORCROSS — A Norcross-area homeowner shot a would-be burglar in the face Thursday morning.

#Gwinnett County police spokesman Cpl. Jake Smith said two men attempted to break into a home on Greenway Road — off Satellite Boulevard in unincorporated Norcross — at about 11 a.m. Thursday. They were unaware, though, that a resident was inside.

#That resident called 911. When one of the burglars began crawling through a window a few minutes later, he grabbed a handgun and shot him once in the face.

 More Here

JPFO Presents Emily Miller with David and Goliath Award

Emily Miller accepts the David and Goliath award from Charles Heller

At the Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) reception last evening, Charles Heller, Executive Director of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO), presented Emily Miller, reporter for the Washington Times, with the David and Goliath award for her outstanding reporting on the byzantine 17 step process that it takes to legally obtain a handgun in Washington, D. C.

The award was last presented to Mike  Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars and David Codrea of Gun Rights Examiner for their reporting of the Fast and Furious scandal.

Both the insanity of the Washington, D.C. gun laws and the Fast and Furious scandal have been more obscured by the old media than exposed.

This years award is, appropriately, inscribed on a stone tablet, with a noticeable divot  in Goliaths forehead.

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

SAF sues in New York over SAFE Act magazine limit

The Second Amendment Foundation today filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Northern District of New York seeking to enjoin the Empire State from enforcing provisions of the so-called S.A.F.E. Act limiting the use of gun magazines to seven rounds or less, even if the magazine is designed to hold more ammunition.

The lawsuit, naming New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Joseph D’Amico, superintendent of the Division of State Police as defendants, asserts that the seven-round loading restriction violates the Second Amendment because it “substantially interferes with the right of law abiding citizens to defend themselves and is not sufficiently related to any compelling or otherwise adequate government interest.”

SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, meeting with the SAF board in Houston as part of the annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, made the announcement Friday afternoon following confirmation from attorney David Jensen, one of two attorneys working on the case. The other counsel is Robert P. Firriolo.

 More Here at Seattle Gun Rights Examiner

NV:Woman fires on Burglars

RENO, NV - It was scary situation for a Reno woman Thursday night. She came home to find burglars inside her house. Reno police tell KOLO 8 News It happened on Hedgewood Drive around 6:30 p.m
.
The woman quickly pulled out her gun, and even fired a few shots at the burglars as they ran down the street. One took off on foot, while the other drove off in an older model beige sedan.

 More Here

AR:State Police Say Handguns not Weapons, Will not Recognize Concealed Weapons Licenses

UPDATE:  Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert has advised Arkansas Carry that ASP Director Col. Stan Witt has issued a correction letter to Idaho.   Here is a copy of the letter:  http://www.isp.idaho.gov/BCI/documents/CWLRECIPROCITY/Arkansas%202013.pdf

It was brought to our attention that the Arkansas State Police is side-stepping Act 1089 by Sen. Jason Rapert.  This bill basically obligated Arkansas to recognize all concealed handgun permits in the country.  The Arkansas State Police claim that a state that issues a "weapons" license is not the same as a "concealed handgun" license and therefore will not recognize any state that has "weapon" instead of "handgun" on their permits. 

89th General Assembly
Regular Session, 2013
SENATE BILL 858
By: Senator Rapert

For An Act To Be Entitled
AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOGNITION OF OTHER STATES' LICENSES TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Subtitle
CONCERNING THE RECOGNITION OF OTHER STATES' LICENSES TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 5321.

Recognition of other states' licenses.
A person in possession of a valid license to carry a concealed handgun issued to the person by another state is entitled to the privileges and subject to the restrictions prescribed by this subchapter.

http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Pages/BillInformation.aspx?measureno=SB858

Here is the letters obtained by Gary Slider at Handgunlaw.us and forwarded to Arkansas Carry today.   The reprecussions go far beyond Idaho as any state that doesn't meet this new criteria will lose reciprocity with Arkansas under this flawed State Police interpretation.

---

Source: arkansascarry.com

Luminaries at the Gun Rights Policy Conference

I am attending the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Houston today.  Last  night there was a reception, and many prominent second amendment supporters attended.  I was able to snap some photos of a few.  I missed many.  I have included  links to their organizations.

Alan Gottlieb Prime Mover for these conferences: Second Amendment Foundation

Alan Korwin (red ribbon): Gunlaws.com and Jim Irving Buckey Firearms Association

David Kopel, Independence Institute

Charles Heller, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO)

Doug Ritter,  Knife Rights

Jeff Knox  The Firearms Coallition

Dr. Timothy Wheeler  Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership

Phillip Van Cleave  Virginia Citizens Defense League

Center is Alan Gura,  Gura & Possessky, PLLC   (Heller, McDonald)

I missed far more than I was able to photograph.  This is an important event for  second amendment supporters to network and talk about strategy.


 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

SC:Clerk Wounds Robbery Suspect

Orangeburg County, SC (WLTX) - Orangeburg County deputies say a store clerk shot a suspect in the arm during an armed robbery attempt.

 More Here

TX:Homeowner kills one of three Invaders

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Authorities say a homeowner fought back after three people burst into his southeast Harris County home, and now one person is dead in that burglary gone wrong.

(snip)

 The 23-year-old homeowner fought back. Investigators say as the two men and a woman left his home, he grabbed his gun and shot at the suspected female burglar through the driver's side of the Nissan car she had driven there, killing her.

 More Here

GA;Homeowner Shoots one of two Intruders

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Police say a homeowner shot a man trying to break into his house in Norcross on Thursday.

(snip)

The homeowner grabbed his handgun and fired after he said one of the men tried to force his way in through a window.

More Here

MI:Resident Wounds one of Several Intruders Attempting to Force Entry into his Home

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - A Kalamazoo man opened fire on multiple people who he said were attempting to break into his home.

(snip)

 When officers arrived at the scene, a resident told them he had shot one of several intruders.
   

More Here

AZ:AG Horne rules Tucson Gun Ordinances are Preempted by State Law

Tom Horn (facebook)

Attorney General of Arizona, Tom Horne, was asked by Representative Brenda Barton if two ordinances dealing with firearms were preempted by State Law.

AG Horne quoted ARS: 13-3108(A):

A. Except as provided in subsection G of this section, a political subdivision of this state shall not enact any ordinance, rule or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, acquisition, gift, devise, storage, licensing, registration, discharge or use of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components or related accessories in this state.

 AG Horne replied that the two Tucson ordinances, 11080, which deals with officers obtaining a blood alcohol  test if he has probable cause to believe that someone has negligently discharged a firearm within city limits, and 11081, which requires reporting of the loss or theft of a firearm, are preempted by the state statute.

Tucson passed the ordinances on May 29th, 2013.

Here is a link to the pdf of AG Horne's reply:

 Link to AG Horne pdf

The practical effect is that the two ordinances are unenforceable.

Preemption statutes have been a major success story for second amendment supporters.  Without them, people exercising second amendment rights face a jigsaw puzzle of town, city and county ordinances that are virtually unknowable to a person traveling even short distances.

©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
More articles by Dean at  Gun Watch 

A real man

3D Printed Semiautomatic Pistol Design

From Proteus/Defcad

The design seems very similar to one that I did some thought experiments with.  I considered using a printed 10-22 receiver and a simple open bolt design to take advantage of the ubiquitous 10-22 magazines.   I was considering a fusion design that would have used a steel liner for the barrel.

It's not yet ready for prime-time (it has yet to be tested), but 3D printing tinkerers have developed a design for a semiautomatic pistol. In fact, the developer says a full-automatic version would be easier to make with available materials. What a long way we've come, in just a few short months, toward the ultimate goal of rendering gun control laws a complete joke. Well...they were already a joke (though a dangerous one). It's more accurate to say we've come a long way toward rendering such laws moot, and easily bypassed by even those with limited technical skills.

 More Here

CO:Armed Citizen uses .357 to Capture Drunken Burglar

The drunk was from Boulder.  I recall another story, that time when a drunk young woman from Boulder barged into a home not her own, and was shot.  I understand that Boulder is a pretty high rent district.

LONGMONT -- A Longmont homeowner who discovered a stranger rummaging through his refrigerator early Sunday morning fired a shot into the ground and held the intruder at gunpoint until police arrived, according to reports. 

 More here

Encounter at a Central Texas Diner

Waitresses at the diner pose after the encounter in the middle of Texas

I was on my way to the Gun Rights Policy Conference when it happened.

I had been riding along I-20, covering lots of miles on my Suzuki 650, looking for a likely place to stop for lunch.   Sometime after Big Spring, chance met preparedness, and I dropped speed and got off the freeway.   The location appeared a little more rundown than I liked, with boarded up windows in an apartment building next door and a paucity of cars in the parking lot.

I was committed now.  I parked the bike and put on the cover, a useful theft deterrent.   As I entered the restaurant, I thought, this place must be struggling.  There were only a half dozen customers in booths and tables, even though it was 1 p.m.    On the motorcycle, I was carrying a Smith & Wesson 337, a now discontinued titanium and scandium model that holds five shots of .38+P.  Crimson Trace grips added a laser sight.  It was concealed, as Texas law bans the open carry of modern sidearms.

I was given my pick of seats, so I chose a table where I could keep an eye on the bike.  I shed the helmet and armored jacket, and started to rehydrate.

Under the jacket, I was wearing a Gun Owners of America T-Shirt.   By taking off the jacket, I exposed the GOA logo.

Then it happened.  The man at the table diagonally behind me said:  "I like your shirt".    We started talking, comparing notes on the state of the country and the fight to restore the second amendment.   We both had observed that the more people learned about the subject, the more people supported armed citizens.

We discussed the spiking of self defense stories in the national media.  I told him about the blog Gun Watch, and the citizen stopped mass shooting at the Peach House gunfight, that happened about a hundred miles from where we were sitting.   He had not heard of it.   I gave him my card.

He told me of how his wife, Pat, had been called by a neighbor as two men attempted to break into the neighbor's house.   Pat showed up with a pistol, and in fluent Spanish, ordered the two men to sit on their hands until police arrived.   A smashed window demonstrated intent.  The two drunk men claimed it was a mistake.    I had never read of it. 

My new brother in arms insisted on paying for lunch, with as he said, "evil oil money".   He promised that he would be reading the blog.  

Armed citizens tend to be polite, well spoken, well educated, and friendly.  Anyone who has spent time among the gun culture can attest to this.  I may start wearing the GOA T-shirt more often.


 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

MS:Homeowner Shoots Intruder, Fires at Accomplice

LAWRENCE COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Lawrence County authorities say a homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Tuesday morning.

The incident happened at a mobile home on Henry Cox Road just outside the Monticello city limits.

Sheriff Joel Thames says dispatchers received a call from David Maxwell at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday. Maxwell said his dog was barking and it woke him up. When he got up to investigate, he found a man in his kitchen and shot him.

 More Here

MO:Robbers Fail in Victim Selection, Off duty Officer Kills one of three

“Don’t make me kill you,” one of them told an off-duty St. Charles County sheriff’s deputy after approaching him and his female jogging partner, authorities say.

The deputy announced he was a police officer and opened fire, killing Antonio Nash, 18, and wounding the two other men in what police say appeared to be a justifiable shooting.

 More Here

Congress can require Carry Reciprocity under the "Full Faith and Credit Clause" of the Constitution

Signing of the Constitution

Alabama recently recognized firearm carry permits from all other states.  This is a continuing trend among states, where it is common for states to recognize each others permits.

The situation is reminiscent of the early days of drivers licenses, where research was required to determine what states recognized drivers licenses issued by other states.

There are enough votes in the Congress to pass national reciprocity, to insure that people who are allowed to carry guns in one state will be able to exercise their rights in all U.S. territories.

National reciprocity has not come to a vote, because the Democrat party leadership does not want it to come to a vote.  It is also possible that President Obama would veto such a bill, though it might be attached to something that he wants in order to overcome that objection.

It seems that national reciprocity could be constitutional, given the second amendment, the Supreme Court cases of Heller and McDonald, and the "Full Faith and Credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution, which reads:

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

 While the clause applies to the states, the federal government should have no difficulty making sure that such reciprocity would apply to all federal jurisdictions, such as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

GA:17-Year-Old Shoots 47-Year-Old in Self Defense

Police say that an Augusta teen who had been sought for questioning in a shooting Saturday acted in self-defense.

 After a “complete and thorough investigation,” Richmond County sheriff’s investigators determined that Anthony Hampton, 17, shot Willie Casey Jr., 47, who later died, Sgt. Shane McDaniel said.

 More Here

KS:Alabama Recognizes Kasnsas Concealed Carry Permits

Kansas concealed carry licenses are now recognized in the State of Alabama, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.

The Office of Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange last week notified the Kansas Attorney General’s office that a new Alabama law, which took effect August 1, recognizes valid concealed carry licenses from all other states. A similar law was passed by the Kansas legislature earlier this year, which allows all valid out-of-state permits to be recognized in Kansas when the non-resident permit holder is traveling temporarily in Kansas.

Alabama is the 34th state to recognize Kansas concealed carry licenses.
A complete list of states that recognize the Kansas concealed carry license is available on the Attorney General’s website at www.ag.ks.gov. There currently are 71,365 active Kansas concealed carry permits.

 More Here

MO:Clerk Holds man for Police

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A St. Louis-area robbery suspect is jailed after a store clerk stopped the man and held him at gunpoint until police arrived.

More Here

WA:Gunfight, Thief Loses

Deputies said the truck’s owner drew a gun and yelled “gun”.  In an attempt to stop the thief, who entered the getaway vehicle. The truck’s owner fired into the engine block,  stopping the car. The thief then allegedly pulled a gun of his  own and and the men exchanged gunfire. The truck’s owner   fired multiple times at the thief, striking him.

More Here

WI:Armed Citizen Stops Dog Attack

 Not much detail in the report.  Guns are commonly used to stop animal attacks.  Animal attacks are not included in many surveys of defensive uses of firearms.

The owner says she got home Monday night and put the dog on a tether in the backyard. She says she later heard a commotion in the alley and saw the dog attacking a teenage girl.

(snip)

Apparently a neighbor got a gun and hit the dog in the leg.

The owner says she told the neighbor to shoot.

More here

OH:First Person Account of Toledo Open Carry March 22 September, 2013

People openly carrying guns obtained as private buyers at a Phoenix gun turn in event




An open carry march in Toledo, Ohio, gained some media attention. 
Ron in Toledo writes of his experience at the event on opencarry.org:

September 22,'13 - Our open carry walk through down town Toledo today was covered by local TV stations, our friendly WSPD Radio 1370 AM, and The Toledo Blade news paper. It was windy and quite cool for this old man, and I was the eldest in attendance. I am proud of the turn out and I met some of the nicest people there. Families with children showed up dispite the wind and cool temperature. The media interviews aside, I made some friends and had enjoyable conversations.

Smiles were on everybodys faces and the fellowship shared was something I'll long remember. It was refreshing to be among so many who share common goals, and ideas. Perhaps some day we should consider having a picnic in one of Toledos many beautiful public parks where we could spend more time together and get to know each other on more personal levels. Terrific people make for a good time, and I hope we'll meet again in the not so distant future; perhaps in the (((((( SUMMER )))))

This is a typical experience for people attending these events.  Ohio, like the vast majority of states, has enjoyed open carry rights for its entire existence, protected by the state constitution as well as the second amendment.   People have found, though, that if you do not exercise your rights, they become rusty, and some  question whether they are a right or not.  From  northwestohio.com:

 The current Ohio law allows gun owners to carry their weapons in public places.

This sentence makes is appear as if the right to bear arms is a recent, temporary and transitory departure from the norm, rather than a time honored right enshrined in Ohio's constitution from the formation of the State.  From the Ohio State Constitution adopted in 1851:

 The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be kept up; and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.

It is the infringements on the right to bear arms that are recent, current, and transitory.

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Or:Homeowner with Gun and Dog Capture Intruder armed with Knife

SALEM, Ore. – A Salem homeowner pulled a gun on an intruder Saturday morning and held him until officers arrived, police said.

Just after 6 a.m., Dan Strasser awoke to find an intruder in his home trying to make off with a laptop, so he yelled at his girlfriend to bring him his gun.

 (snip)

Lowell then pulled out a knife and threatened Strasser but dropped it once he saw the gun, police said.

More Here

Kenya: Off duty soldier with a handgun saved 100 lives as terrorists ran amok (SAS)

An off-duty member of the SAS emerged as a hero of the Nairobi siege yesterday, after he was credited with saving up to 100 lives.

The soldier was having coffee at the Westgate mall when it was attacked by Islamists on Saturday.

With a gun tucked into his waistband, he was pictured helping two women from the complex.

More Here

NV:Armed Citizen Stops Robbery at Starbucks (off duty officer)

Wolff was in plain clothes but wearing his badge and gun. He aimed his gun at the gunman, identfied himself as an officer and ordered the suspect to drop his weapon.

The gunman tried to run off but an employee had locked the door. He ran through a glass door, but Wollf caught up to him.


More Here

AR:Open Carry in Jonesboro Delayed for two weeks

Arkansas Carry  has postponed the open carry walk that was scheduled for Joneboro for two weeks.  The open carry walk has been coordinated with the local prosecutor and police in order to educate the public about the change in Arkansas carry law.  As stated by Arkansas Carry:

On September 22nd, 2013, at 3:00 pm, Arkansas Carry will host a legal and peaceful armed citizen walk in Jonesboro. The walk will begin near the County Courthouse and move north on Main Street to Cate Avenue, then back south on Union Street. Over a dozen Arkansas Carry members will take part in the invitation-only walk.

The gathering is being held to celebrate Act 746 becoming law on August  16th, and to bring attention to the fact that the public bearing of arms is now legal in the State of Arkansas. Arkansas Carry, Second Amendment leaders and various law enforcement agencies and prosecutors have long asserted that Act 746 has abruptly stopped the decades-long infringement upon unlicensed Second Amendment rights in the Natural State.

 An Arkansas law previously made it illegal to carry a firearm with the intent to use the firearm against another person.  Act 746 clarified the law so that it was only illegal to carry a firearm with intent to unlawfully use the firearm against another person.

Chris Matthews at Arkansas  Carry reports that the walk has been delayed:

The Jonesboro open carry celebration hike has been postponed a couple weeks. We will re-schedule for a few weeks from now. Don't worry, NE AR: we still haven't forgotten you! -Nicholas Stehle

 The  Arkansas AG Dustin McDaniel has written an opinion that open carry of firearms is not legal in the state, but does not quote any law to show where it is illegal.  He simply claims that Act 746 does not make open carry legal.

 A successful open carry march was held in Fort Smith on August 25th.  No one was arrested.


 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

KY:Alleged car burglar shot

HEIDRICK, Ky. (AP) — Police say a southern Kentucky man has been fatally shot after he allegedly broke into a vehicle and was confronted by its owner and a neighbor.

More Here

Right to Bear Arms by State 1986 to 2013 (from gun-nuttery.com)

The latest state of the right to bear arms in the United States.  DC would appear as a tiny red dot if it were shown.

Here is the link to the originating site if you wish to view each individual map.

Link to gun-nuttery.com

Children School Teacher on Active Shooter Response

In a discussion on freerepublic.com   about the Navy Yard active shooter situation, MacMattico posted this response about how the children in his daughter's school responded to an active shooter exercise:

First week of school, my daughter's entire school was put on “lockdown”. They couldn't leave their classes and doors (including classroom doors) were locked. Some idiot had called in a “threat” is all we have been told.

The boys started speaking up first, telling the teacher “if we hear gun shots we're not sitting here” and the teacher repeated they were suppose to stay seated until the “lockdown” was lifted.

Fortunately, nothing happened but the class had already made plans to use the fire escape window to get out if a gunman approached, and how to quickly move a large piece of furniture in front of the door to afford more escape time. The fastest kid in the class volunteered to be the first out the fire escape to run as fast as he could to see if it was safe down there. The girls were in on the plan, to, but chivalry is not dead as the boys said they would help the girls get out first.

The teacher said even if there's gun fire, the plan is to stay seated. One kid told her then you can stay seated next to the door and keep look out while we get out. 

 Notice that the students were not worried about breaking regulations.  They were worried about survival.   They created a plan based on developing circumstances, not one that had to work in all situations.   They were not disrespectful, they simply refused to allow the teacher to dictate to them that they must die in place.

It is interesting that their plan is very close to what actually worked in some school shootings.   A "lockdown" without a means of defense simply creates rooms full of hostages to be exploited.  In a great many situations, running away is a good survival strategy.

Unfortunately, from a bureaucratic standpoint, fleeing the scene of an active shooter is not tenable, because it cannot easily be done with absolute safety in drills.  First graders cannot be allowed to wander from the school.  Middle and high school students may make a drill into an impromptu day off from school, if they leave the campus.

Still, it is refreshing to see students who are willing to think for themselves, evaluate a situation, and take action.  Too bad school officials cannot seem to foster such a sense of responsibility and to build on it.


 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

FL:Armed Victim Chases Robbers

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) -- An armed robbery victim turned the tables on the three men who targeted him outside a South Florida night club when he chased after them with a firearm, authorities said.

More Here

TX:Open Carry Rally for Nacogdoches

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TX (KTRE) -
Saturday the streets of downtown Nacogdoches will be filled with guns.

"We stand for liberty, freedom, individual rights and the constitution," said Josie Harrison, TX Sons of Liberty Riders.

The Texas Sons of Liberty is group of Second Amendment advocates promoting gun law awareness.

Saturday they plan to take their cause to streets of Nacogdoches.

"We basically stand up for the constitution, so we go anywhere we feel the constitution needs to be upheld," said Harrison.

 250 people are expected at the Come and Take It Nacogdoches Gun Rally.

The group had to obtain a permit from the city to ensure the closure of Pecan, Fredonia and Pilar streets to host the event.

 "Under Texas law there is nothing illegal about carrying a gun in a public place," said Mike Kelly, Assistant Chief of Police.

 More here

IL:14 Months in Jail for Exercising Constititutional Right, Vindicated

The unanimous State Supreme Court ruling that freed Hambrick essentially agreed with a Second Amendment argument he'd been making since July 2, 2011, the night Chicago Police pulled him over near 79th and Ashland because he was allegedly not using a seatbelt.  Hambrick told them he had a firearm. When they took his chrome .45 caliber Taurus handgun, he admits becoming belligerent and lecturing the cops on his rights as an American citizen. Later, when he tried to file criminal charges against the arresting officers and the Circuit Court Judge hearing his case, the judge revoked Hambrick's bond and ordered a psychiatric evaluation. He was found to be sane, but as his case bounced through three courtrooms, no new bond was ever set.  Hambrick's mug shot from 26 months ago indicates he lost a lot of weight while in Jail, refusing even to consider pleading guilty to any charge, despite pressure from some in his family.

More here

FL:Home Invader Shot, One Flees

Meantime, a man who had been in the kitchen when the gunmen burst in armed himself with a gun and ran out the front door, police said. He soon returned through the front door and confronted one of the gunmen, shooting him multiple times, after which the gunman fell to the floor, police said.

More Here

AK:Armed Homeowner holds Burglar for Police

A Soldotna-area man detained a suspected burglar at gunpoint on his roof early Wednesday morning and then called 911, Alaska State Troopers said.

More Here

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/09/18/3081554/soldotna-area-homeowner-with-pistol.html#storylink=cpy

TX:Store Ownere Shoots, Kills one of three

BEAUMONT -
A spokesperson for the Beaumont Police Department has identified a robbery suspect who was shot and killed during an armed robbery in Beaumont's north end Tuesday evening.  Sgt Rob Flores identifies the deceased as Duayne Smith, 25, of Port Arthur.

 More Here

MI:Pistol-Whipped Homeowner Shoots Robber

Police said the shooting took place following an attempted robbery Tuesday afternoon on Norma Street, in the area of I-696 and Hoover Road.

The victim, a man in his 60s, and his brother sell gold and jewelry out of the home, according to police.

 More Here

AZ:Phoenix Politicians Use Police Overtime to Destroy Guns

A fraction of the guns turned in to Phoenix Police in May, 2013

Phoenix police had nearly 2,000 guns that were turned in to them this May destroyed in secrecy after spending thousands of dollars in police overtime to process them.

This is an unusual way to conduct a deodand ceremony.  Usually they are conducted in a very public way, with reporters present, pictures taken of the "evil" deodands as they are righteously crushed, chopped, or burned and melted.

Perhaps Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton decided that using police overtime so that hundreds of thousands of dollars of valuable property could be legally destroyed, instead of the money being used for public purposes, was not good public relations.

The police had competition at the turn in events.  Hundreds of private buyers lined the streets to purchase the better, more collectible, or more expensive guns for cash, offering more than the police did.

Of the nearly two thousand guns turned in, only four were found to have been stolen at some time.  The number of guns found to be stolen at these events is usually less than 1%.


link to article about preventing police from destroying valuable resources


link to article showing private buyers and their purchases during Phoenix turn in(buyback) events



 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Culture, not Gun Ownership, Key Factor in Gun Homicides

The study used the propaganda metric "gun homicides".  I suspect that the correclation would have been even higher if they had simply looked at all unjustified homicides.   Still, it shows that culture is the determining factor.  Each new child is a wild animal that needs to be civilized.  Remove the civilizing influence of a father and it becomes much harder to civilize young men.  They then revert to the default position of culture, tribalism.  We call these modern tribes "gangs".

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data, Costello determined that the top three factors that correlate most strongly with gun homicides are growing up in a black community, not having a father present, and dropping out of high school – “the very factors that Bill Cosby has been discussing,” he pointed out.

 More here at CNS

 Link to European Murder Rates Compared to the United States: Demographics vs Guns

Starbucks Tries to Thread the Needle, Fails

I was not surprised by the position taken by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.  He has been getting some heat from the statist anti-freedom crowd, and those are the people that he hangs with.   He has always been an Obama supporter and so his propensity, like most of those on the left, is to put the "progressive" agenda before profits.

Up until now, he did the smart business move, he stayed neutral.  He simply followed the law of the state his business was in.   Second amendment supporters let their support be known.    As second amendment supporters outnumber those who wish to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms by about five to one, he wisely chose not side with his statist buddies.

In the end, political correctness won over profits.  Howard Schults tried to thread the needle, with results that will lose him money.   What he did not count on was the extremely high level of respect and responsibility for the rights of others that exists in the gun culture.

Those in the gun culture will not go where they are not wanted.  There are many other suppliers in the marketplace.  I only went to Starbucks because they showed that even a leftist organization can bend to market demand.  No more.  Howard has said, in effect, I want your money, but only if you are willing to give up your principles and rights.

No sale, Howard.  I respected you as a capitalist.  As a political activist, you are a disaster.

Among statists, breaking rules, ignoring the Constitution, and others rights may be common and accepted.  If a right does not fit the agenda, just declare something else a right (like the absurd "right not to be offended") and stomp all over guaranteed rights. 

That is not the way that those in the gun culture play.

You have your right to do stupid things.  We have the right not to play your stupid games.

There are nervous nellies that only want to support the second amendment when it is convenient.  They make statements saying, essentially - see - don't exercise your rights, it only makes them mad!

To you nervous nellies.  You are wrong.  Howard knows that he risks alienating a significant chunk of his clientele.  That is why he tried to thread the needle.  He just does not know the second amendment crowd, which is why he will lose.

Here is a real situation where a confrontation occurred in Starbucks over open carry and a young mother.   See who won.

Link to confrontation in a Starbucks article

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

NM:Auto burglary suspect shot, owner of car jailed

A suspected auto burglar was in hospital in critical but stable condition after being shot by the owner of a car being burglarized in the 8400 block of Julian Robles NE, police said.

The man who shot the suspect has been charged with aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm, and was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center, according to Albuquerque Police spokesman Simon Drobik.

More here 

How many must die in gun free zones before we learn?

WASHINGTON.  September 16, 2013. – Why in God’s name do we make our military people so vulnerable that they have to rely on the DC police today?

Confusion swirled around the shootings at the Washington Naval Yard today. Was it one gunman or was it several? How did this gunman or gunmen get access to a secured military facility? How did one rifle and possibly one shotgun get onto a secured military facility?

(snip)

So why was one of our most important Naval facilities so vulnerable?
It is because it was made a gun free zone.

More at the Washington Times

First Impact Of Illinois Supreme Court Ruling On Right To Carry

I want to thank John Richardson of No Lawyers, Only Guns and Money for writing this article.  Please click to his blog, because he deserves the credit.  I only wish to insure that the information is widely spread.  Good job, John.


This past Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled unanimously in People v. Aguilar that the Illinois law that banned carry outside the home was illegal under the Second Amendment. Yesterday, this ruling caused Cook County Circuit Judge Ellen Mandeltort to reverse herself and drop charges against Deafalla Haddad. Mr. Haddad had been charged with the unlawful use of a weapon after he was found in possession of a handgun during a routine traffic stop.

Cook County Circuit Judge Ellen Mandeltort last week denied Deafalla Haddad's request to drop the charges.

But the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that part of the state's gun law was unconstitutional and advised prosecutors to drop charges in certain cases. That ruling fell in step with a federal court decision earlier this year declaring that the state's gun laws violated the U.S. Constitution.

At Monday's hearing, defense attorney Matt Fakhoury asked Mandeltort to reconsider the request in light of the Supreme Court decision. She agreed and found the case against Haddad violated his Second Amendment rights.

"This court finds that the charges (against Haddad) are unconstitutional," Mandeltort said from the bench.

 More Here No Lawyers - Only Guns and Money

Media, The Navy and the DC Shooter: A Retired Navy Security Officer’s View

This writer sheds real light on the Navy Yard situation.

If you are watching the news in the early stages of the Navy Yard shooting, you may not be surprised that you hear one thing and hours later hear something totally different. It seems the media gets focused on things like, how many shooters were there, what kind of gun was used, how did he get a security clearance with his background and so on. Many of these are valid questions but the demand put on Navy officials for facts quickly impacts on those with boots on the ground, leading to nothing but misinformation.

More here at mississippigunnews.com 

CA:Vacaville resident shoots intruder

Two would-be burglars got more than they bargained for Sunday morning -- including a trip to the hospital for one -- after the owner of the Vacaville home they allegedly broke into greeted them with a gun.

More Here

PA:Homeowner wins Gunfight

Sometimes you have to read a story with a critical eye to discern what happened.  The writer works hard to make the murderous criminal into just another ordinary guy.  Ordinary guys do not plan to steal and murder.   From the Pittsburg Post-Gazette

Sgt. Cibula said Mr. Rozgonyi went outside and told Mr. Stevens that 911 had been called and police were on the way.

"[Mr. Stevens], according to independent witnesses, began firing his weapon at the homeowner, who then fired his weapon in self-defense," county police said in a news release.

The gunfight did not end well for Mr. Stevens, who was killed.

TX:Gunfight:Armed Citizen Shoots Robber

A "retired agent" is just another armed citizen.  They are not members of royalty.

The victims told authorities the gunman approached as soon as the last person was out of the family's truck. The suspect, wearing a bandanna or t-shirt over his face, then demanded money. The suspected bad guy fired one shot, and the retired agent returned fire, hitting the gunman at least twice.


More Here

OH:Store Owner Shoots One of Two

Two white males entered the 3rd Base Drive Thru, 3535 Linden Ave., this evening and

 approached the clerk attempting to rob the store. At least one of the men was thought

 to display a handgun, police said. 

The owner of the store, who was in the back of the drive through, came out with his own gun

 and shot at the suspects. One of the two suspects was hit in the chest and fled to a restaurant

 next door, where he collapsed. 

More Here

Two white males entered the 3rd Base Drive Thru, 3535 Linden Ave., this evening and approached the clerk attempting to rob the store. At least one of the men was thought to display a handgun, police said.
The owner of the store, who was in the back of the drive through, came out with his own gun and shot at the suspects. One of the two suspects was hit in the chest and fled to a restaurant next door, where he collapsed.
- See more at: http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/news/news/crime-law/drive-through-owner-shoots-robbery-suspect/nZx2X/#sthash.ShoqwlZ0.dpuf

Two white males entered the 3rd Base Drive Thru, 3535 Linden Ave., this evening and approached the clerk attempting to rob the store. At least one of the men was thought to display a handgun, police said.
The owner of the store, who was in the back of the drive through, came out with his own gun and shot at the suspects. One of the two suspects was hit in the chest and fled to a restaurant next door, where he collapsed.
- See more at: http://www.newstalkradiowhio.com/news/news/crime-law/drive-through-owner-shoots-robbery-suspect/nZx2X/#sthash.ShoqwlZ0.dpuf

TX:Homeowner Shoots one of Two Intruders

Austin Police say 2 suspects attempted to break into the house in broad daylight around lunchtime.

Unfortunately for them, the homeowner was home and shot one of them.

More Here

NH:Armed Citizen Confronted at Starbucks

Photo by Dave Workman

A mother needed to use the Internet to order items required by a minor emergency on the road.   Naturally, she turned to Starbucks.

Starbucks has become known nationally for its neutral policy on the carry of firearms.  If you are following the law, Starbucks is willing to take your money in exchange for their product.  Here is what happened in a New Hampshire Starbucks as written by the mother it happened to, Riana, on opencarry.org:

Here I am, minding my own business, sitting with my husband and son in the Starbucks on Main Street. I had several things to take care of, as our vacation plans have been drastically altered by a broken-down vehicle, and needed internet access to handle them.

A man came up to me, pointed at my holstered sidearm, and asked rather indignantly, "What is that?"

I replied, "That is my defensive sidearm, sir."

"Well, I'm glad you feel safer, but I don't." he said.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, sir," I said calmly.

The complainer then went immediately (and loudly) went to the staff, demanding they "do something" about me. The staff simply responded that I was well within my rights, and they would do nothing. He told them he didn't feel safe, and another customer piped in that he indeed felt safer with me carrying a sidearm. The complainer then left the store in a huff, hollering that he would never come back to this store, because of the policy.

Later the customer who piped up came by and thanked me for carrying. The staff never made any comment to me. My son did note, however, that the complainer drove off in a car with Massachusetts plates, so that explains a lot.

This is an unusual experience for people who openly carry firearms.  I have openly carried firearms for many years, and the number of negative encounters, all milder than the one above, can be numbered on the fingers of one hand.   It might help that I have been told that I have a mild and inoffensive appearance.  I have also been told that I look like a policeman.  Fortunately, I have never had another person loudly complain to management that I was allowed to carry a firearm. 

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Did Police Chief Steve Bracknell Libel George Zimmerman?

Whenever I write anything to be published on the Internet or email, I assume that it could be made public at any time.   I caution readers to do the same.  While Internet anonymity is possible, it takes careful preparation and significant effort.

Florida Police Chief Steve Bracknell had a moment of inattention to that advise, and it has pushed him into the middle of the Zimmerman persecution, where no matter what he does, he will get criticism from nearly everyone.   In addition, he may well be sued by George Zimmerman for libel.

In an email to Santiago Rodriquez, of unknown residence,  quoted in the left wing thinkprogress.com, Chief Bracknell makes an unguarded comment.   At thinkprogress.com there is a link to the email exchange between Santiago Rodriques and Chief Bracknell :

Rodriquez writes:

Either way you had crimes committed by this man and did nothing,  Zimmerman is a Sandy Hook, Aurora waiting to happen your job is to protect the communities you serve and you are failing big time...

There is no other state in America in which a man can threaten someone with a gun and not be arrested for it apparently in Florida you have no regard for true justice or the law and that has to come to an end, if Charges are not filed on George Zimmerman we will demand the Justice department to investigate the way your department handled this investigation and how potentially you had assisted a cover up

Sincerly

One Disgusted American

Now is when (Chief) Steve Bracknell makes his mistake.  He writes a long reply to Mr. Rodriguez, explaining in detail the situation and his scrupulous following of the law.  At the end, he writes:

16.  Your reference to Sandy Hook.........................I agree.
17.  Again, there is no cover up.  We are just bound by the laws of our state. I welcome any outside oversight.

Thank you for your email.  I have tried to answer your questions honestly.  On a personal note I agree with you on a few of your points.

Respectfully

Ordinarily, a statement of personal opinion such as this would be uneventful.  The problem is that Chief Bracknell is not speaking as a private individual.  He is speaking as Chief of Police on (almost certainly) department owned equipment and on a department set up email.   From such a position, he has a duty not to make unsupported, libelous statements to the public, which is what he appears to have done, albeit likely without considering it to be so.

Now that the email has been published online, Chief Bracknell is, correctly, backtracking.   It is doubtful that he has the training to make such statements, and they are very likely actionable.

He is caught between two camps.   The animus toward George Zimmerman is very high, and appears to be supported at the highest levels of the administration.   The sympathy for George Zimmerman is also very high, with a majority of people believing that he is not guilty and has been treated unjustly.

This is a very dangerous place for Chief Bracknell to be.   I hope that he will backtrack fast enough not to be caught in the jaws of this trap.



 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

WA:Armed Citizen stops Rampage at Marina

A 22-year-old man apparently high on drugs and naked from the waist down went on a rampage with a 35-foot boat he stole at the Queen City Yacht Club on Portage Bay in Seattle last night, ramming other boats and docks.

A witness, fearing for the safety of other boat owners on the docks, got a shotgun and fired at the boat thief to put a stop to it all, according to Seattle police.

A yacht club official who owns the stolen boat said a prelimary estimate is that the suspect did a total of $500,000 in damage to the marina and about a dozen boats.

More Here

Armed Citizen from AR Interacts with Police Officer in AL

On a road trip from Arkansas through Alabama, an armed citizen, on vacation with his wife, had an encounter with a police officer.

Officers on the street have always been more supportive of armed citizens than police administrators.   As state after state made it easier for ever increasing  numbers of citizens to be legally armed in public, the attitude of police became more positive as they gained experience with armed citizens.

In the words of Kopis, a contributor to opencarry.org, here is what happened on the road in Alabama:

So i rolled the windows down, took the key out and put my hands on the wheel, the trooper walks up and i stuck my hand out and introduced myself and said also, "i do have a CCW permit out of AR and my GLOCK is on my right side, do you want to disarm me?" and in a country twang, he responds "well, ill make ya a deal son, you dont draw yours and i wont draw mine" LMAO! i said that's a fair deal officer! He got my at 75 in a 55 and wrote me a warning, how awesome is that?

This sort of encounter is much more common than the negative ones that I usually write about.  Most police officers see armed citizens as an asset rather than a threat.  You do not hear these stories because they are not news.

They are less common in those areas that are still working hard at suppressing second amendment rights.  I would not expect this treatment in New York City, New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago.

Police attitudes are changing.  Police communicate with each other, and every positive encounter with armed citizens, every incident where an armed citizen assists a police officer, adds to the momentum of changing police attitudes. 

The common experience of police officers is that legally armed citizens are the good guys and gals.  They are not the problem, they are part of the solution.  It starts with the police on the street, but more and more police chiefs and sheriffs are echoing that message as well.


 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

MT:77-Year-Old Shoots Intruder at 2 a.m.

Defending his home from an intruder, a 77-year-old Missoula homeowner shot a man in the torso early Sunday morning.

(snip)

 Upon initial investigation, however, the homeowner is believed to have acted within his rights to defend his property.

 More Here

TX:Homeowner Shoots Intruder

At that point he says he went to get his handgun and slowly walked upstairs.
"I observed this man was trying to remove the window unit out of the window.

And he stopped after he heard me and he turned around and I shot him one time," said resident Johnny Thompson.

More Here

CA:Home Owner Shoots one of two Burglary Suspects

Resident Bruce Robertson told Monterey County sheriff's deputies he heard a knock on his door about 11 a.m., but ignored it and went downstairs. When he heard the rear sliding door opening he walked back upstairs and encountered a man standing at the top, deputies said.

The resident shot the suspected intruder, identified by deputies as Ivan Stubbs, 53, of Salinas, who was taken by ambulance to Monterey Regional Airport and airlifted to a San Jose trauma center. Sgt. Brian Pickens said Stubbs was in critical condition Thursday afternoon.

 More Here

NC:School Board Decides to Obey Gun Law, Under Threat of Lawsuit

What does the school board find so threatening about legally allowing those who have not been convicted of any crime, to have firearms in locked cases in locked cars on public property?    From  blackmountainnews.com:

The new law, which allows concealed-carry permit holders to keep guns locked in cases in locked cars on school campuses, starts Oct. 1

The school board ordered their attorney to draft a rule to ban people with concealed carry permits form keeping firearms in locked cases in their locked car on the school campus (which is public property).   Earlier, a state law was passed that allowed people with concealed carry permits to do so.   The Board only backed off after being threatened with a lawsuit:

The policy, suggested at the Board of Education’s last meeting, would run counter to a new state law that allows some people to have guns on campuses.

Raleigh-based Grass Roots North Carolina told the school board chairman it would sue on Aug. 28. The powerful gun rights group, with 17,000 members, is trolling the rest of the state for signs that other school systems are not following the law to the T.

The school system’s attorney said Friday that board of education members have been “inundated” with letters over the issue.

 It is hard to see how the anti-second amendment types have any credibility after such silly posturing.  People with CCW permits are already some of the most law abiding groups in the country.  They appear to break less laws than police officers.   Yet, the mere thought of these extremely law abiding people being allowed to have their gun in a locked case in a locked car on public property. causes this sort of irrational response.

I believe that the Board of Education is lucky to have competent counsel, as the Board itself seems to have little regard for the rule of law.


  ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

Stop, Drop, and Cower

H/T to the creative work of OneWingedShark at freerepublic.com

More Here at freerepublic.com

Three Men ‘Illegally’ Arrested for Openly Carrying ‘Black Powder’ Pistols in Texas

Three people were reportedly arrested on Friday for openly carrying Civil War-era pistols during a pro-gun protest outside the Texas Capitol. Gun rights activists tell TheBlaze the arrests were unlawful as it is legal in Texas to openly carry a pre-1899 antique firearm.

Terry Louis Holcomb, 44, identified as a Huntsville-area pastor, and Scott Douglas Smith, 50, a military veteran from San Antonio, and Gary Hayes, a quadriplegic, were reportedly arrested by state troopers in Austin and charged with disorderly conduct, which is defined, by law, as an action with a firearm “calculated to alarm.”

(YouTube)

 More Here at the Blaze

Three Texan gun owners arrested for possessing legal Firearms

Open carry in Arizona during an IRS protest

On September 13th, three Texas men were arrested for openly carrying legal pistols in Austin, Texas. All three men had Civil War era pistols which are not considered firearms under Texas law. Terry Louis Holcomb, a Huntsville area pastor, Scott Douglas Smith, a military veteran from San Antonio, and Gary Hayes, a quadriplegic, were arrested by state police for disorderly conduct, a charge that means the possession of a firearm for the purpose to cause alarm.

Since all three men were carrying guns manufactured prior to 1899, they are considered antiques and exempted from state law on open carry. Holcomb and Smith are out on bond, while Hayes has opted to remain in jail. It is the second time in 2 weeks that gun owners were arrested for legally possessing legal firearms. The previous arrest of three men, who were taken into noncustodial arrest, who were walking with unloaded rifles, an act permissable by Texas law.

 More Here

Why Second Amendment Supporters are Winning

Graphic from Rocky Mountain Gun Owners on the Colorado Recall

In The Atlantic, Molly Ball writes a thoughtful article about the recall elections in Colorado, and the effects of those elections on citizen disarmament efforts.  Titled  "The Death of Gun Control" it is a somber article with the clear assumption that those who push citizen disarmament are on the morally correct side:

Among gun-control campaigners, recriminations are flying behind the scenes about the strategic missteps that allowed Tuesday's recalls to slip away. But many are convinced that the damage will be limited. Matt Bennett, a veteran gun-policy strategist and researcher now with the center-left think tank Third Way, pointed me to a poll that showed that even recall supporters still favored gun background checks; it was Colorado's ban on high-capacity magazines they revolted against.

But panicky lawmakers are unlikely to make such a fine distinction. All they'll see is a fight between Bloomberg's lofty promises and the creaky old tactics of the NRA, and the NRA won.

The reason that the disarmament lobby lost, though, is not contained in the article.   Molly Ball is incapable of writing it, because it discredits her assumptions about the basis for the lobby.  The reason the disarmament lobby lost is because their policy is bad policy, and because the more people know about it, the less they like it.  The new media has allowed ordinary citizens to reach almost as many people as does old media such as the Atlantic.  From the comments on the article, spencer60 writes:

I only wish that this one election was really 'the death' of the gun control industry. This failed and discredited, ex-hippy dogma needs to die.

It has no rational basis, and it's legacy is one of needless death and suffering by innocents prevented from defending their own lives, and those of others.

The gun control industry itself is funded and directed by a few elite billionaires like Bloomberg and Soros. It's staff is a bunch of highly paid lobbyists, lawyers and 'advocates' clustered around D.C. and various state capitals. 

The gun control industry has been trying to eliminate the Second Amendment rights of American citizens for almost 40 years now, that's two generations of law abiding firearms owners who've had to fight against this plague.

They are liars who say they 'believe' in your firearms rights, then try to strip them from you in any way they can.

They say they support your right to defend yourself, while trying to repeal the concealed carry and 'stand your ground' laws that allow honest citizens to actually do so. 

They say that they support womens safety, while trying to eliminate the one tool that can reduce the odds of being raped by factor of 10. 

Unfortunately, the gun control industry, their lobbyists, and their lapdog media are just like cockroaches. 

You can shine a light on them and they will scatter. But they never really go away.

Spencer60's comments destroy Molly Ball's assumptions about citizen disarmament.  Anyone who seriously looks at the data comes away with the same conclusion: citizen disarmament has no rational basis if you accept its stated purposes.   A rational basis for it can only be found if you accept unfounded, unstated assumptions about reality that have not stood the test of real world implementation.

Here are some of those assumptions:

The state is a beneficent entity that will never turn against its own citizens.

Guns in the hands of ordinary people result in higher crime rates, particularly homicide rates.

The only benefits that guns offer society can easily be achieved with high levels of regulation and control by the state, and significantly lower levels of gun ownership.

Defense of self and home by armed citizens is such a rare and unusual event that it is overwhelmed by the increased crime resulting from more gun ownership.

And, of course, the ultimate result of such assumptions:

Any regulation or law that reduces the number of guns outside the control of the state, or which makes it more burdensome for citizens to acquire, own or use guns (which amounts to the same thing) is a public good.

The real problem for those who promote citizen disarmament is that all of the above assumptions are false, and have empirically been shown to be false in the real world settings in which they have been tried.

Ordinary citizens who know this and can show it outnumber those who advocate for citizen disarmament by about five to one.  The new media give them a way to disseminate  that information.

That is the real reason for the death of gun control.

 ©2013 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.