Thursday, November 28, 2013

Media's Emotional Reaction to Gun Tragedies Fueled 2nd Amendment Doc

Full disclosure: I contributed to the kickstarter production of this film, and promoted it with my writing.  I am pleased to read Khris Koenig's  account as excerpted below: 

When Anita Ingrao and I started to create Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire, it was to be produced for local television and not a feature-length film. We never intended to take on the history of the 2nd Amendment and the debate on guns in our society, but our production timeline intersected with the tragic events of Aurora and Newtown shootings.

The emotional reactions of the media and those by government officials surrounding events directly related to mental health problems illustrated the need for a logical, fact-based film on guns in America.

The genesis of the film came during the production of a regional film dealing with the problem of urban street gangs invading rural California. I was doing ride-alongs with our local Sheriff’s anti-gang unit when we came in contact with a gang member who really didn’t like being filmed. After the encounter, the deputy asked if I had a concealed carry permit (CCW) and I told him I didn’t and he responded that I should consider getting one for my own safety.
Over the course of obtaining my permit, I learned that not all Californians are equal in the eyes of the law.

Residences of rural counties can easily obtain their CCWs, however, those of urban areas like San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles cannot. The issuance of CCWs on a county-by-county basis at the discretion of the individual sheriffs just sits wrong with everything I believe is fair and right. How can a single mother that is trying to protect her children and her home in East LA have fewer rights than a rice farmer in Northern California?

 More here

1 comment:

Wireless.Phil said...

Knockout Game.


Time to go to the sporting goods store and buy a football helmet.

I pasted the whole article below because a few hours ago it disapeared from the web site:

Two unrelated incidents at Midway Mall put Elyria police on alert
Posted: 11/27/13, 10:06 AM EST
http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20131127/two-unrelated-incidents-at-midway-mall-put-elyria-police-on-alert

ELYRIA, Ohio (25-miles west of Cleveland) — Two unrelated incidents Tuesday at Midway Mall put Elyria police on heightened alert.
At 9:30 a.m., a 78-year-old man was standing at a urinal inside of a bathroom near Aunt Annie’s Pretzels when he was struck in the side of the face by an unknown subject, according to Capt. Chris Costantino.
“Someone hit him in the side of the face for no apparent reason,” he said.
The man told officers he had no issues or problems with anyone and was unsure what could have provoked the assault.
The man suffered a bloody nose, but declined medical attention, according to Costantino.
“Luckily, his injuries do not appear to be severe,” he said.
The victim was unable to provide a description of the assailant because the attack came from the man’s side and happened quickly, Costantino said.
When asked if he attributes the attack to the “knockout game,” where assailants target random people and attempt to knock them out with one punch, Costantino said he isn’t sure.
“There are not enough details yet,” he said. “Obviously, it is an unprovoked assault. But the logic behind it is something I do not know.”
About 4:30 p.m., police responded to Best Buy for a call of a woman, 22, who was robbed, according to radio traffic on a police scanner.
Costantino said a female employee was walking across the parking lot after her shift while talking on her phone.
When the woman got into her car, a white male entered the passenger side, demanding she give him her money.
“He told her ‘give me your money, or I’ll kill you,’” Costantino said.
The woman offered the suspect her debit card, but he refused, Costantino said.
The culprit then grabbed the woman by her throat with his left hand while attempting to start his car, he said.
The woman then told the suspect her purse was in the trunk of her car and that he could take it if he left her alone. The suspect then took the keys from the ignition and went to the trunk of the car to retrieve the purse. The woman exited the car and the suspect drove away in her vehicle, according to Costantino.
“Luckily, she was able to react quickly and get out of the car,” he said.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 40s or 50s, with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a gray hunter’s coat, dark pants and a dark beanie hat, Costantino said.
Elyria police and other departments are looking for the woman’s vehicle — a 1998 teal Ford Escort, license plate number ELV1496, Costantino said.
When asked if the case would be pursued as a carjacking or attempted abduction, Costantino said he would need to review the responding officer’s report.
“It’s an active stolen (car) as of right now,” Costantino said. “I would like to see more details, but it certainly fits that. I would like more facts before I make a determination on exactly what it is.”