The Illogic of the Left on Carrying Firearms

I freely admit the Huffington Post is not the source I turn to for news.  But when I saw this story in the list of firearm related news I received in my email this morning, I was curious what it was about.  Turns out, it was as devoid of logic as I normally expect from Huffington Post.  The two commentators honestly believe individuals want to carry firearms because their latte might be too hot?

It's not news that many malls and theaters already ban firearms.  Do the owners of the malls, or the two Huffington Post commentators really think those signs will stop someone intent on causing harm to innocent people?  Where do most mass shootings occur - in places that have a "no firearms" policy.

A Local Perspective on the Record Setting Black Friday

WHSV TV in Harrisonburg had this report.

Congressional Study Shows Firearm-related Murder Cut in Half While Number of Firearms Increased

A new Congressional Research Service study notes:

Reports submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies to the FBI and published annually in the Uniform Crime Reports indicate that the firearms-related murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate per 100,000 of the population decreased from 6.6 for 1993 to 3.6 for 2000. The rate held steady at 3.6 for 2001 and fluctuated thereafter between a high of 3.9 for 2006 and 2007, and a low of 3.2 for 2010. For 2011, it has remained at 3.2.

It's just one more example that more guns do not lead to more crime despite what the gun ban lobby would like us to believe.  Dr. AWR Hawkins, of Breitbart News was on NRANews.com's Cam and Company and talked about the report.

What a Difference a Year Makes

As we approach the one year anniversary (and I really hate using that word since most people associate celebration with an anniversary) of the horrific murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a new poll by CNN finds more people (50%-49%) oppose gun control than support it.  Dr. AWR Hawkins of Breitbart News has the story:

CNN Polling Director Keating Holland says the drop in gun control support is due to regional differences: "Demographically speaking, the drop in support for stricter gun laws is mostly based on where people live, with a 10-point decline in the Midwest and a 15-point drop in urban areas having a lot to do with the overall decline nationally."

Support spiked upward after the shooting last year but as time has passed, the number of people supporting new gun control has subsided back to levels seen before December 14, 2012.

Act by Midnight Friday for Savings up to 50% Off at the VSSA Store

That's right, just in time for Christmas, you can get VSSA logo merchandise for up to 50% off the regular price in the VSSA online store.  All shirts (including sweatshirts) are 50% off. Most other items have savings of at least 20%. It's a great opportunity to get those special VSSA 75th Anniversary items or Crushn' Clays 15th Anniversary items before they are gone on January 1, 2014.

 

 

All you have to do is enter the promotional code HOLIDAYSMADE at checkout and your savings will be immediately calculated.  A portion of every sale supports VSSA's efforts to protect your rights.  But hurry, the sale ends at 11:59 PM PT on Friday, December 6th.

Crime Declines, People Still Think it's Worse

USA Today has the story here.  Last May, the LA Times had a similar story.  Not sure what's new in today's story.  The take away's are pretty much the same. From the USA story:

The rate of non-fatal violent gun crime victimization dropped 75% in the past 20 years; The gun homicide rate dropped 49% in the same period, according to numbers Pew researchers obtained from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The public doesn't get its feelings out of crime statistics," said Alfred Blumstein, an urban systems professor at Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. "The public gets its feelings from particularly notorious events, and what the press talks about."

Which leads to the gun ban lobby trying to use this disconnect to their advantage:

"The public says 'I'm concerned, do something,' and the political system has to respond to that," he said.

Is There A McAuliffe Effect on Gun Sales in Virginia?

The Roanoke Times reported this morning that firearm transactions set a record in Virginia on "Black Friday."

Gun transactions in Virginia totaled 3,902 on Black Friday, a 1.2 percent increase over the previous record of 3,856 transactions on the same day in 2012, according to the latest Virginia State Police figures of mandatory criminal-background checks of gun buyers.

This bucks national results for Black Friday 2013 which the Washington Times reported were slightly lower than last year, though still the sixth highest in history.  Virginia is on pace to set a record for the number of background checks for the entire year as well. The state police only keeps track of the number of background checks.  Actual sales could be higher. If someone is purchasing more that one firearm, only one background check is required.

What is driving the continued record numbers in Virginia? Thomas Baker, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government Affairs who did a study of Virginia firearm sales last year offers this perspective:

Baker said it will be interesting to see if concerns about gun legislation have subsided after the defeat of the national gun legislation proposed this year, and if that “will lead to smaller increases of annual gun sales in years to come.”

However, Baker noted that the election of Democrat Terry McAuliffe as governor — “a staunch advocate for stricter gun controls” — could be a driving force for additional year-end gun sales in Virginia. 

“If McAuliffe proposes any state-level gun legislation, we could see another surge in sales similar to those in response to fears about national gun control legislation,” Baker said.

Baker's research found that in the last six years, total firearm sales in Virginia rose a whopping 101 percent from 2006 to 2012, according to federally licensed gun dealer sales estimates. Data for 2013 are not yet available.

Seeing Something That Isn't There

That's the best way to describe this quote from Ladd Everitt, a spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, regarding the likely renewal of the current ban on weapons that can get by detectors at security checkpoints:

Advocates for expanded gun laws say the expected House vote may be a signal that some support exists for stricter laws after the shooting almost a year ago in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 elementary school students and six adults.

“Any time you see the House of Representatives moving forward on firearms legislation it’s a very good sign,” said Ladd Everitt, a spokesman for the Washington-based Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. 

Unlike New York Senator Chuck Schumer's bill, the House bill is a clean renewal of the current law that is scheduled to expire on December 9th. To think that passage of the House bill is a sign the environment has changed for other gun control is simply fantasy.

Gun Control Consortium Wants to Make it Easier to Seize Firearms

One of the take aways from yesterday's gun control forum hosted by the Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy at the UVA Law School is that the gun ban lobby wants to use a little slight of hand to get the same tired proposals passed that they have been pushing for years.  Josh Horwitz said as much when he said during his comments that all of their proposals that would be outlined must start with background checks.  But this time, they hope to gain support by making it sound like they only want to keep firearms out of the hands of people they think are a threat to others - like people who may have been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), and even people that neighbors or family members think pose a threat to others.  To do this, they want to create the ability for law enforcement to seize firearms with and without warrants.  Throughout the four hours of the forum, attendees and those watching the event live streamed heard from anti-rights "researchers" and legislators. 

The Daily Progress summarized their proposals:

The group recommended a special warrant that would allow police to remove firearms from the possession of people authorities believe to be a danger to themselves or others. Additionally, the consortium proposed a new civil restraining order process could allow citizens to petition the court for the temporary removal of firearms from friends or family members who are considered at that time to be dangerous, according to the report.

Other high-risk populations targeted by the consortium's recommendations include people with histories of substance abuse and domestic violence.  

Another recommendation temporary bars anyone convicted of a violent misdemeanor; a temporary domestic violence restraining order placed on them; or multiple DUI, DWI or controlled substance convictions in the past five years from purchasing or possessing firearms. 

“We are looking not just at mental illness, but at elevated risk,” Horwitz said. “We also need to look at meaningful prohibitions for people who are at increased risk for other reasons.”

So who gets to decide the people at an "elevated risk"?  You guessed it - the gun ban lobby.  VSSA will be paying special attention to mental health bills. It will be a busy session again this year.

Obama Campaign Arm Urges Gun Control Rallies on Newtown Anniversary

The Hill reported yesterday that Organizing for America, the Obama campaign advocacy group, is urging supporters of gun control to hold events on the anniversary of the Newtown school shooting this month.

Organizing for America (OFA) says it intends the events to be a "powerful reminder of what we lost a year ago, and a reminder that we as a nation need to do more to prevent gun violence and keep our communities safe."

OFA says that the events will be held in towns and cities across the country and will be used to "call on Congress to finally take action to make our communities safer."

Nevermind that nothing proposed by Obama or the gun ban lobby since the shooting would have stopped it from occurring.

Hat tip to John Lott.

Herring Campaign Manager Claims Gun Control Led To Victory That is Still in Question

State Senator Mark Herring's campaign manager, Kevin O’Holleran, had this Op/Ed in yesterday's Washington Post, claiming that gun control led to his 164 vote victory over State Senator Mark Obenshain in Virginia's AG race. Setting aside for the moment the votes are headed for a recount, let's take a look at his claim.

Like much conventional wisdom, this was wrong — and we not only ignored this advice but did the opposite. There were stark differences between Herring and his Republican opponent, Sen. Mark D. Obenshain (R-Harrisonburg), on gun safety. Obenshain opposed comprehensive background checks and opposed closing the gun-show loophole. He opposed former governor Douglas Wilder’s landmark “one-gun-a-month” legislation. Obenshain also made a habit of voting for such irresponsible proposals as allowing guns in bars and restaurants where alcohol is served.

While O'Holleran made a short reference to the campaign's focus on the so-called "women's health" meme that Democrats used during the 2013 campaign, he gives credit for his candidate's victory the focus on gun control, and even mentions the late entry of Bloomberg's gun ban group into the race. But, Bloomberg did not focus solely on gun control, choosing instead to also jump on the social issues band wagon. Also, as O'Holleran focuses his thesis on the vote totals on northern Virginia, Bloomberg focused his ads on the region as did the Mark Kelly-Gabby Giffords group Americans for Responsible Solutions. Even with the large vote totals he ran up in Northern Virginia, the final margin is a razor thin 164 votes that is headed to a recount. So, while gun control likely polls well in Northern Virginia, even with increasing the vote total by 124,000 over the total for the AG in 2009, it was barely enough to pull him across the finish line (and still may not depending on what happens in the recount). It's likley the constant barage of negative ads tying Obenshain to Cuccinelli on social issues had more to do with the final outcome than gun control.

And, even if he ends up winning, 164 votes does not make a mandate for anything, including gun control.

Firearm Retailers Cash in On Black Friday

Dr. A.W.R. Hawkins reports that Black Friday this year is no different than it has been since 2008:

In 2012, the number of Black Friday background checks rose to 154,873. Remember that because numerous guns can be purchased with each background check, these figures don't even begin to indicate how many firearms may actually have been sold. 

This information is not lost on retailers like Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, and Wal-Mart. Cabela's literally gave away shotguns to early bird customers in some cities on Black Friday--those receiving the guns went through a background check--and Huffington Post reported that Bass Pro Shops was running hot deals on Bushmaster AR-15 rifles. 

Wal-Mart ran a "Manager's Special Sale" that translated into "20 percent off select rifles and shotguns."

Gun Control Proposals to be Released at UVA December 2nd

A group of leading gun ban advocates will convene at the University of Virginia on Monday, December 2nd, to propose "specific state-level policy recommendations" they say are designed to keep firearms out of the hands of those most likely to commit violence.

Among those slated to participate are Lt. Gov.-elect Ralph Northam, state Sen. Donald McEachin; Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence; and gun ban advocate and member of Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe's Transition Team, Lori Haas.

Given this line up, look for the usual proposals such as so-called "universial" background checks, bans on ammunition magazines that hold more than ten rounds, and so on and so on.

The event will be live streamed from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM. at http://new.livestream.com/UVABattenSchool/events/2565671.

Obenshain Asks for Recount in AG Race

This morning, State Senator Mark Obenshain requested a recount in the Attorney General's race. State Senator Mark Herring was certified the winner on Monday by a very slim 165 votes out of over 2 million cast. Of the 4 statewide races this century decided within a 300 vote margin, 3 have been overturned in a recount. The 0.007 percent margin in the current race is closer than any of those. Virginia may not know until close to Christmas who will be Virginia's next Attorney General.