Category Archives: Second Amendment

Looking at the Bucs.

It frightens Joe to think that Tom Bradys two more trusted targets may not be with the Bucs to begin the season, and may miss a lot of time.

A guy who has a backchannel for intel from One Buc Palace, former Bucs defensive tackle and current BSPN talking head Booger McFarland, said recently that Bucs receiver Chris Godwin should not be expected to return until after Thanksgiving. Yikes.

And then there is the will he/wont he drama from foot-rubbing tight end Rob Gronkowski. If he doesnt return, hes done, that is it. The Bucs playing without Godwin maybe until the final month of the season and without Gronk? That gives Joe the shivers.

Well, per Daylight-Savings-Time-scared, crossword-puzzle-puzzled, Elon-Musk-peeved, Barstool-Sports-triggered, almond-milk-sipping, hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling,L.L.-Bean-wearing, tennis fans advocate, Second Amendment abolitionist,Mike-Florio-arguing,parrot-insensitive,chewing-with-his-mouth-open,soup-gulping,California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation,outhouse-admiring,airline-napping,steerage-flying,Yogi Berra-worshiping,urinal-picture-taking,video-game-playing,Taylor-Swift-listening,pickpocket-thwarting,Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating,pedestrian-bumping,olive oil-lapping,popcorn-munching,coffee-slurping,fried-chicken-eating,oatmeal-loving,circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching,scone-loathing,college football-nave,baseball-box-score-reading,NPR-honk,filthy-hotel-staying,fight-instigating,barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant,baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring, pineapple-upside-down-cake-eating social activist and NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports fame, Joe and all Bucs fans should get the shivers.

King put out his team rankings Nos 1-32 this morning and he has the Bucs at No. 6, behind both the Rams and the Packers. A big reason is Godwins unknown status. King likely would have dropped the Bucs a few more spots if he knew Gronk was retiring.

6. Tampa Bay (14-5, lost in the divisional round to the Rams)

I could have put the Bucs ahead of Green Bay. Maybe I should have. I just dont take for granted that 45-year-old Brady will just pick up where he left off. Even with bottom-feeders Carolina and Atlanta to get fat off, the Bucs will be seriously challenged by the Saints (4-0 versus Brady and Tampa in the regular season in the last two years) for division supremacy, even post-Payton. It worries me, too, that both starting guards, Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa, left in the offseason. Bradys a statue, and anything that affects his protection is an issue. Career backup Aaron Stinnie and ex-Pat Shaq Mason have big jobs to do at left and right guard.

Have you noticed a trend in the NFC? Every top contender is somehow diminished. The Rams without Von Miller and maybe Beckham. The Packers without Davante Adams. Dallas without Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory. The Saints without long-time coach Sean Payton. Arizona without Chandler Jones, Christian Kirk and, for a six-game suspension, DeAndre Hopkins. The Bucs are part of that trend. Theyve got two new guards protecting Brady, Rob Gronkowskis future is uncertain, and they might be without Chris Godwinrecovering from Jan. 3 ACL surgeryat the start of the season.

The Bucs scored 30 points a game last year, thanks in large part to the chemistry between Brady and Chris Godwin. In his last two full games last season, Godwin was targeted 32 times by Brady and caught 25 passes. Were all used to Brady figuring it out with whoever he has to catch the ball, and hell still have Mr. Reliable, Mike Evans. But if Gronk and Godwin are missing in September yikes. The Bucs open at Dallas, at New Orleans, Green Bay home and Kansas City home. Not too friendly.

Its impossible to not like Tampa Bay. The Bucs are 30-9 since Brady walked on campus, and hes still here, coming off leading the NFL in passing yards. I doubt the coaching change to Todd Bowles will be much of a factor. The schedule might be the biggest factor of all. Other than four against the Panthers and Cards and one against Seattle, I dont see any fluff.

Joe does believe there will be a difference between former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians and Todd Bowles. How could there not be? But that may only be a difference of a game, maybe two.

Godwin missing time is bad and the longer he is out the worse it is for the Bucs. If Gronk throws in the towel, then the Bucs are looking at Cam Brate (solid receiver, not a blocker) and two rookies at tight end, or the free agent market.

Not very comforting.

Read the original post:
Peter King Is Worried About Chris Godwin (And Rob Gronkowski, Too) - Joe Bucs Fan

Letters to the Editor| The Columbus Dispatch

I am 100% with Kathie Bailey May 19 letter "Sorry, Mike, no more'."

The three issues required to be met by a politician to garner her vote are spot-on.

Well said. We must continue to speak out and then vote.

Kathleen Rosati,Westerville

Ho hum. Another mass shooting by a man carrying a legal paramilitary weapon bought legally by the 18-year-old but then modified.

Officials say the motive wasracism, no doubt fed by those in conservative media (Foxs Tucker Carlson included), piggybacking on the fear of a non-existent Critical Race Theory, not satisfied with cancelling history.

More: Our view: Proposed laws open Ohio kids up to hateful ideology, racist conspiracies

These fearmongers, backed by a majority of Republican elected officials, through willful agreement or dead silence, have introduced a new fear tactic: the replacement theory, which implies that minorities are coming to replace us, the whites.

Blacks, whose descendants were brought here as slaves centuries before ourEuropean descendants arrived, and who were counted by our Framers as 3/5 of a person, are here to replace us?

Latinos are coming to take our jobs?

The jobs most of us dont want?

More: Greater Columbus schools lack teacher diversity, and some fear HB 616 could make it worse

Hatred and ignorance have caused Republicans toabandon their principles while also abandoning the Constitution, ignoring Supreme Court nominations and election results, and allowing the misinterpretation of The Second Amendment to destroy so many lives.

They willingly choose to cause fear for two reasons they have nothing positive to offer our country, and because of their own fears fear of Trump, and, mostly, fear that standing up against racism, hate and the NRA will end the cash gravy train that they are riding.

Greg Ward, Dublin

More: How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch

I read Stan Fulk's May 3 letter, "No one is saying you can't be LGBTQ+" inresponse to Jasmine Nicole Miller's April 28 column, "Transwoman: HB 616 a step against love,' understanding'."

More: Letters: Columbus needs Amtrak badly. Rent control isn't a good idea for Columbus.

So, since House Bill 616 would ban both instruction and materials about sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade in all public and most private schools,we can conclude thatnoinstruction and materials about being heterosexual (or, for that matter, anything other than heterosexual) will be included as well...? (Hmmm.)

Jim Mergner, Columbus

More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

I couldnt agree more with Kathie Baileys May 19 letter "Sorry, Mike, no more'."

Her letter summarizes the feelings of a great number of Ohioans.

More: Who's Matt Huffman? The Lima man running the show at the Ohio Statehouse

I am a registered Republican but DeWine and the entire Republican party has moved too far right for me,and many more people than the Trump Republican party has realized.

They will find out however at the next election.The real question is, where are the moderate candidates in either party?

Chet Ridenour,Worthington

Note from Opinion Editor Amelia Robinson: Today's page features two viewsopposing student loan debt forgiveness, which isbeing considered by President Joe Biden.

What do you think of the subject and the views?

Let us know in a letter to the editor of 200 words or less sent to Letters@Dispatch.com. Include your name, address and phone number.

Continued here:
Letters: Mike DeWine has moved too far to the right - The Columbus Dispatch

Im looking forward to seeing many of you over Memorial Day weekend at the 151st NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Houston, Texas. From entertainment to special events, its all happening in the Lone Star State, where NRA members will gather at the George R. Brown Convention Center May 27-29 to celebrate freedom and honor those who have served our country.

The NRA Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of NRA members and Second Amendment supporters in the United States. The Exhibit Hall, spanning more than 14 acres this year, will showcase the latest guns and gear from your favorite brands. Be sure to wear your best walking shoes, because with all that exhibit space, you can spend all three days exploring products from the most popular firearm companies in the country and still not see everything. You can book the hunt of a lifetime in our exclusive outfitter section, view priceless collections of firearms in the gun collector area, and observe an amazing array of knives, wildlife art, shooting accessories, hunting gear, ATVs and more.

On Friday, May 27 is the NRA-ILA Leadership Forumone of the most politically significant events around. Hear from our nations top Second Amendment leaders about what is at stake in the upcoming midterm elections. Additionally, NRA leadership will address the Association membershipalong with recognizing the youngest and oldest among usat the Annual Meeting of Members on Saturday, May 28.

The NRA Annual Meeting is one of my favorite events each year because its a celebration of patriotic values and the Second Amendment. With musical heavyweights Don McLean and Lee Greenwood headlining, the NRA Grand Ole Night of Freedom Concert on Saturday night is a must-attend event. Plus, you can support the NRA Institute for Legislative Actions lobbying efforts at the 14th Annual NRA-ILA Dinner and Auction on May 27.

One of the most talked about events each year, on May 27, the NRA Womens Leadership Forum Luncheon and Auction will once again connect philanthropic women and provide different avenues to defend our cherished Second Amendment rights. Theres also the NRA Womens New Energy Breakfast on Sunday, May 29, with coffee and conversation for like-minded female NRA members.

In addition, I want to encourage everyone attending to check out the many seminars that are available in Houston this year, such as the NRA Foundations National Firearms Law Seminar on May 27, which will cover important firearms law topics drawn from around the nation.

As you can see, this is a jam-packed weekend you will not want to miss! Admission to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits for NRA members and their immediate families is free. Learn more at nraam.org.

More:
2022 NRA Annual Meetings And Exhibits In Houston, Texas | An Official Journal Of The NRA - America's 1st Freedom

The Alabama Legislatures 2022 regular session ended recently, marking the conclusion of a successful quadrennium that began in 2019. Throughout four regular sessions and numerous special sessions, I am proud to say that my colleagues defended Alabamas conservative values, fought for hardworking Alabamians in every corner of our great state, and took significant steps to strengthen Alabamas future and economy.

In this past session alone, lawmakers helped spearhead $160 million worth of annual tax cuts for Alabama families, small businesses, farmers, and retirees.

Thanks to conservative fiscal management by the legislature in recent years, we were able to deliver these much-needed tax cuts to ease the burden on Alabamians without negatively affecting vital government services, such as law enforcement, infrastructure, and education.

At the same time, weve made historic strides toward expanding affordable, high-speed internet access to all Alabamians, regardless of their zip code. Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield, R-Guntersville, has been a stalwart leader in this critical effort, and the result has been not only unprecedented investments and public-private partnerships related to broadband expansion, but also innovative, comprehensive planning that will guarantee resources are allocated strategically, efficiently, and as expeditiously as possible.

On that note, innovation has been an overarching theme of this quadrennium for the legislature.

Along with Governor Kay Ivey, her administration, legislative colleagues, and private sector stakeholders, we concluded our work with the Alabama Innovation Commission and put legislation in motion that formed the Alabama Innovation Corporation. I am honored to serve as an ex-officio board member as well vice-chair of the Corporation, and Im thrilled at the progress we have made in a short time at cementing the Yellowhammer State as a burgeoning hub for 21stcentury entrepreneurship and technology.

From electric vehicles and modern automotive manufacturing to the aerospace and defense industry, biomedicine, cutting-edge scientific research, precision agriculture, and landmark developments at the Port of Mobile, the Alabama Legislature has proactively supported the growth of well-paying jobs and greater opportunity in all 67 of our counties.

My colleagues have also been laser-focused at guaranteeing our workforce is able to meet the demands of a 21st century economy. While we still have work to do, this quadrennium fashioned several pieces of legislation that compensate and treat our teachers like the professionals they are while striving to see all our students reach their full potential.

Its certainly notable that Alabama Republicans tackled all of this while not compromising on our values, core beliefs, or way of life.

We took steps to further secure our elections, including a ban on curbside voting and limiting the influence that private funds have on elections in Alabama, ultimately strengthening the integrity of our elections. Even though wed put our election system and processes up to anyone elses nationwide, we can never stop working to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Additionally, Alabama Senate Republicans know that the Second Amendment codifies inalienable rights that we will never allow to be infringed. After years of work, my colleagues and I were elated to pass constitutional carry and the Second Amendment Preservation Act, pushing back on President Joe Bidens radical gun control agenda.

Finally, and most importantly, the Alabama Legislature has been a champion for the most critical right of all the sacred, God-given right to life. With the Supreme Court of the United States potentially on the cusp of overturning the disastrous Roe v. Wade decision, Alabama Republicans this quadrennium have prepared the people of our state for this very moment.

By passing a constitutional amendment declaring Alabama a pro-life state and passing the most pro-life law in the country, we are ready and willing for the State of Alabama to again have the power to protect the unborn. Nothing is more important than being a voice for the voiceless and protecting the most vulnerable among us.

In Fiscal Year 2022, the legislature made a $772 million investment in communities across the state with will impact Alabamians for generations. Lawmakers appropriated the first round of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in January to assist with challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imminent that we will be tasked with allocating a second round of federal dollars, and I am confident that we will again make fiscally sound investments for the future of all Alabamians

I am proud of the work the Alabama Legislature has accomplished these past four years, but Im also filled with hope for the future of our state knowing that the best is yet to come.

Read the original here:
Opinion | The conservative foundation is laid and Alabama is ready to build back better - Alabama Political Reporter

U.S. Rep. Bob Good handily defeated a challenge by Charlottesville native Dan Moy for the 5th District Republican nomination Saturday.

The GOP used a convention at Hampden-Sydney University for its selection process to pick a candidate for Novembers election.

Good will now face off with Charlottesville native Josh Throneburg, a Democrat, in a battle for a seat in Congress. Throneburg secured his partys nomination in April after Andy Parker failed to get an appropriate number of signatures needed to appear on a primary ballot.

I want to thank the delegates from across the 5th District who came to Farmville and took on the responsibility of electing their Republican nominee for Congress, Good said in a statement Saturday. I am humbled and honored that they have once again placed their trust in me to fight for their values in Washington.

Good secured his bid for reelection with 84% 1,488 to 271 of Saturdays votes. Among Halifax delegates, the vote was a bit closer at 52 for Good and 23 for Moy, according to the weighed calculations.

I want to congratulate Congressman Bob Good on his victory, Moy, who made a South Boston appearance in March to seek delegates for his campaign, said in a Saturday statement.

Now it is time to unite and focus on keeping the 5th District red, Moy said. I fully endorse him for his reelection and look forward to continuing to build the Republican committee in Charlottesville and support our nominee.

Good is running for his second term in the United States House of Representatives after winning the seat in 2020. He ousted then-U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman in an unconventional GOP convention held drive-thru style amid the coronavirus pandemic.

While a majority of the sprawling 5th District remains the same and includes all of Halifax County newly redrawn maps added Goods hometown of Lynchburg as well as new counties in the east near Richmond.

Throneburg, who recently appeared at the TJM Community Center in Cluster Springs, said fewer than 2,000 of party faithful turned out for Saturdays convention, representing only 0.02% of the population Virginias 5th-District.

This district has lacked real representation for far too long, Throneburg said in a statement. The reality is that Bob Good failed the people he serves.

Throneburg said the sitting congressman hasnt passed notable legislation and failed to bring federal money to the district he serves.

On the other hand, Good in his Saturday statement after the convention pointed to 31 pieces of legislation hes introduced on issues from lockdowns to the Second Amendment.

From day one, I made serving my constituents a priority Good said. We didnt just wait for people to call us.

Good and his office have also helped more than 2,000 Virginians cut through bureaucratic red tape, his news release stated.

So far, we have helped our constituents recover over $9.5 million that was owed to them from the IRS, VA, Small Business Administration, Social Security and many more federal agencies, Good said.

Throneburg also attacked Goods endless culture wars in his release.

Ive been meeting with voters in this district for more than a year, and what I have heard over and over is that people here arent invested in partisan politics: what they want is a representative in DC who is looking out for them, not a person who is there to serve his own agenda and his own ambition. Thronburg said. Bob Goods two-year record demonstrates that his priorities dont lie with the district.

On the point of politics, Good blames the Democrats control of Washington for skyrocketing prices of gas, groceries and rent.

I believe voters are going to give Republicans a chance to control Congress and stop the Biden agenda in its tracks, Good said. We must rise to that challenge, and do what we say we are going to do.

View post:
Good wins nomination in battle for 5th District - YourGV.com

Do-nothing RINOs

I have new neighbors who moved here to escape the political climate in Portland, Ore. After my early voting in the primary, I discussed my choices with the neighbors, who informed me that they were reviewing the stance of the candidates on the Arkansas Voter's Guide. We are on the same page leaning toward the conservative side.

I was disappointed to hear from my neighbors that Sarah Huckabee Sanders had refused to take the survey. How could a candidate miss the chance to let the voters know how they feel about the issues? I see arrogance in her option. We already have too many do-nothing RINOs in office. I applaud my new neighbors for making informed decisions and researching the Voter's Guide before casting a vote. I might have made a mistake by voting for her.

CURTIS FESLER

Mountain View

Company they keep

Wait. Before you vote in the Republican primary: Follow the money and the endorsements; they both have long-reaching tentacles. Ignore the Trump endorsements, they were blindly secured by the GOP establishment. Review the Family Council voter guide, ArkansasVotersGuide.com. Check out opensecrets.org. Vote for freedom. Vote out incumbents; you be the term limits!

We are in danger of losing our freedom; we must remove the Republicans in name only, i.e., RINO. So who are the RINOs?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the "proxy" incumbent running for governor. Make no mistake, this will be Mike Huckabee's third term. We have already had 10 years of the Huckabee dynasty. The bulk of Sarah's contributions are out-of-state donors. So who's buying Arkansas?

Asked by this paper whether she believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Sanders said, "We know there is fraud in every election. How far and wide it went, I don't think that will be something that will be ever determined." Hey, Sarah, it has been determined: 2000Mules.com.

Asa Hutchinson endorsed Sarah. Sarah endorsed John Boozman, a RINO who said Trump should be charged for Jan. 6. Arkansas for Leadership is a leadership PAC affiliated with John Boozman. Good place to hide contributions. Sarah also endorsed French Hill (RINO) and Tim Griffin (RINO). And in turn, they all endorsed her. No quid pro quo there, right. And now Mike Pence has endorsed Sarah. Remember, Pence betrayed Trump and the American people. We should judge these RINOs by the company they keep.

SHARON HATCHER

Mountain View

Not what it's about

A TV ad supporting John Boozman for re-election is getting a lot of play recently. As the ad extols Boozman for supporting the Second Amendment, a photo shows him out in a field in camo vest with shotgun over his arm, obviously hunting.

Please remind the senator, his supporters, and all Arkansans that the Second Amendment is not, was not, and never has been about hunting.

CRAIG SHELTON

Little Rock

Having it both ways

What's the matter with the so-called Christians in Arkansas, and the U.S. as well, that they are not for gun control? You can't be pro-life if you are not for gun control.

Stop being bullies. You can't fool your Lord and Savior. Stay in your lane. You will stand before God someday to answer for your judgment. No need to respond.

GLENDA HILL

Alexander

The metamorphosis

Our family connections were first recorded over 150 years ago in the minutes of the Hickory Plains Missionary Baptist Church where our ancestors were deacons. And my family and his continued to conduct business together well into the 20th century. I can still vividly recall the tall, dignified figure of his grandfather, W.J. Caskey, as he tended to his tasks and made the rounds on Main Street of Des Arc. The hardware and funeral businesses required the respect of the community, and Mr. Caskey fostered that attitude with his vested suit, beaver hat and with his acquaintance with local families.

But the recent commentary of Rex Nelson has devolved from that of a respected historian and it has veered toward an attempt at political punditry. The reverence afforded his maternal grandfather is no longer safeguarded. Perhaps Mr. Nelson is following the lead of his colleague, John Brummett, who has suggested that there are only two types of Republicans, the evil and the less evil.

It would not be a surprising metamorphosis for Mr. Nelson to succumb to the pressures of an employer that apparently holds complete and total disdain for the vast majority of its customers, the citizens of Arkansas. It appears those with opposing views are promoted as being unenlightened, gullible, irredeemable and deplorable. It seems such a counterproductive strategy for a struggling business.

W.K. HOLLOWAY

Conway

Originally posted here:
OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Do-nothing RINOs | Company they keep | Not what it's about - Arkansas Online

The Buffalo community in upstate New York is still mourning the senseless massacre that occurred on May 15, when a gunman entered a local grocery store and killed 10 people in a racially motivated attack.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden traveled to the city and condemned the incident as violence inflicted in the service of hate. He also labeled it an act of domestic terrorism.

Jill and I bring you this message from deep in our nations soul. In America, evil will not win. I promise you. Hate will not prevail. And white supremacy will not have the last word, Biden said on Tuesday.

The Buffalo shooting and other domestic white supremacist terrorist attacks on the countrys minority populationgrowing concerns for federal authoritiesillustrate the difficulties of working toward racial reckoning in a firearm heavy nation.

Read more: The Buffalo Shooter Targeted a City Haunted by Segregation

The burden of Americas long love affair with guns disproportionately affects the Black community and has done so since the Second Amendment was written into law. Carol Anderson is an African-American studies professor at Emory University and the author of The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America, which explores the history of the Second Amendment and how it has kept the Black population helpless and at higher risk of gun violence, especially at the hands of white supremacists.

Speaking with TIME, Anderson discussed the Buffalo mass shooting and how it fits into the larger discussion around the Second Amendment and the targeting of Black civilians.

Your book explores how the Second Amendment has historically had a negative impact on the Black population. How does this recent mass shooting in Buffalo fit into that idea?

It fits because of the framing of who black people are. [The shooter] believes in the replacement theory, the one thats been spewed by Tucker Carlson and by Elise Stefanik about the ways that black people are a threat to the white community, that theyre going to take over, that black people are dangerous, and that they have to be removed, they have to be compelled to leave. That was so much of the genesis of the Second Amendment, that black people are a threat, that they are dangerous that they pose ill will upon whites, particularly slaveholding whites.

[The founding fathers] made sure that the constitution had an amendment that provided the right for a well-regulated militia. In early America, that militia was really about controlling the enslaved population and putting down slave revolts. Thats what they were afraid of. Without the militia, without their guns, they felt they would be left defenseless.

When you hear the killer in Buffalo, talking about theyre trying to take over and weve got to create terror that will [make them] want to leave, thats rooted in Americas history. The slaveholders didnt want Black folks to leave because they needed somebody to do the work. What they wanted was a docile compliant, controlled Black population.

Whats the correlation between white supremacy and gun rights in America today?

They go hand together like love and marriage. We also saw it in the insurrection on January 6, because here you had black folks voting, despite the pandemic, because they knew that democracy was on the line. And because they did not vote for a white supremacist, but in fact voted that white supremacist out of power. You have this uprising, spurred by Trump and company identifying the sources of the threat, the sources of the steal.

There were over 900 messages to election workers and poll workers were so many times the Second Amendment was invoked as the right that would be used in order to take out these election workers who stole the election.

One of the things I laid out in the book is that in this period that were in right now, the standard-bearers that we see as being the right to Second Amendment citizenship, stand your ground and open carry. When that is applied to Black folks they dont have those rights. In terms of stand your ground, white people are 10 times more likely to walk away with a justifiable homicide ruling when they kill somebody Black than when somebody Black kills somebody White.

Weve seen these kinds of mass shootings happening in the recent past where a minority group is targeted. Why cant we find a way to address this problem?

It is the power of anti-blackness, the power of the fear of Black people. The fear of black folks is so intense, that we have been willing as a society to lose our safety and security in our churches, in our grocery stores, in our schools and where we work, just to ensure access to guns. But 400 million guns have not made us a safer society. It has not brought about security.

[The country] is afraid of black people.

Read more: Theres No Such Thing As a Lone Wolf. The Online Movement That Spawned the Buffalo Shooting

The shooter in the Buffalo incident made it very clear what his motives were and had no problem making his views public. How come he wasnt seen as a threat beforehand?

Part of the perversion of anti-blackness is the inability of this society to identify a threat, a genuine threat.

[Think of] Kyle Rittenhouse with his AR-15 and [was met] by the cops who were like oh, we are so glad you are here. Even after he guns down three people killing two of them. He walks back with his hands up to surrender and the cops go right by him. They dont see a threat. The Buffalo killer popped up on the radar because of threats he was making in high school. They investigate it and nothing came of it because he wasnt viewed as a threat.

When you look at gun ownership today and see that a large percentage of legal ownership is white but theres been an increase in Black gun ownership over the past year or so, what do you think is driving that increase?

Part of what is driving it was the Trump years and the reality of Black folks basically being on their own. Nobody was going to come to rescue them. So they were going to have to defend themselves, kind of the same way that was happening after the Civil War. The same way that was happening in the rise of Jim Crow, where you had Black folks arming themselves, because they could not rely upon law enforcement to protect them from the violence.

In terms of gun violence, illegal weapons find their way into poor Black communities and that drives a lot of the violence in those communities. What does that say about the flaws of the Second Amendment?

Because there is a floodgate of weapons that go into those communities, you have the communities trying to put a stop to the homicides that are happening but the other things that need to be done arent being done. Quality education, social structures and social support systems are not being implemented. Those have been gutted. Employment opportunities have been gutted. So what those communities are trying to do is limit access to guns. Its one thing to get into an argument, its another thing to get into an argument with a gun.

Whats the middle ground between someones right to own a weapon and protecting the Black population from attacks like this?

There are states like Georgia and Texas, that are loosening their gun regulation laws around background checks and training. There are more guns than people in the United States. The killer in Buffalo had on body armor with a semi-automatic weapon. AR-15s arent good for anything but hunting people. Why would we have regular civilian access to that kind of weaponry?

If so-called gun rights advocates give an inch on these automatic and semi-automatic weapons then the belief is that theyll be coming to take all of your guns. That poisonous rhetoric is why we dont see movement on sane gun safety laws.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

More Must-Read Stories From TIME

Write to Josiah Bates at josiah.bates@time.com.

Read more here:
The Buffalo Shooting, Black America, and Guns - TIME

For full disclosure, I am against any form of violent assembly. I am against "peaceful assembly" on private property without permission.

I dislike loud and obscene "peaceful assembly".

Having identified where I stand, I find it exceptionally hypocritical that Mr. Exum is so adamantly in favor of the Florida Bill that "muffles" the First Amendment right of peaceful assembly, those protesting the draft abortion decision, but says nothing about the "peaceful assembly" of pro-life protesters at abortion clinics hindering access. Or protests against mask use. Or the Westboro Baptist Church anti-homosexual or trans-gender protests. Or the Trump Stop The Steal protests. Or protests against Disney for criticizing the FL Don't Say Gay law.

Most of those protests were loud and obscene. For him, and for many of the Republican Chattanoogan.com readers of his column, I suspect that type of peaceful assembly is perfectly acceptable.

Yet the Republicans are against the Right To Peaceful Assembly when it does not meet their standards, and hypocritically defend the "right to peaceful assembly" that occurred on Jan. 6, and the Republican instigators.The Founding Fathers had no idea of the electronic amplification of sound, but were aware of and subject to the "heckling" of the times. I suspect that "heckling" was not in a polite tone either.

The First Amendment is silent (pun intended) on the volume of a peaceful protest, as well as the obscenities that may be hurled.But I will take that loud and obscene "peaceful assembly" of the First Amendment any day instead of the Second Amendment right to own military grade weapons and the shooting and deaths that occur because of their availability. For Republicans, the First Amendment needs to be amended to fit their ideas, but they do not dare tread on the sanctity of the Second Amendment.

Joe Warren

See the original post here:
Muffling The 1st Amendment - The Chattanoogan

If we are "sick of massacres," says the headline over Gail Collins' latest New York Timescolumn, we should "get rid of the guns." Which guns? Collins herself is not sure. Sometimes she seems to be talking about the rifles that politicians call "assault weapons." She refers a few times to "assault rifles" and mentions "the infamous semiautomatic AR-15." But she also talks about banning "semiautomatic rifles" and "semiautomatics" in general, which are much broader categories that include many other commonly used guns.

As long as they do not have military-style features such as a folding stock, a pistol grip, or a threaded barrel, semi-automatic rifles are not covered by state "assault weapon" laws. The bill aimed at reviving the federal ban that expired in 2004 explicitly exempts dozens of semi-automatic rifles by name, and it applies to handguns only if they have specified characteristics such as a threaded barrel, a second pistol grip, or a barrel shroud.

Collins does not seem to understand any of this, which is both surprising and typical. It is surprising because Collins has worked at theTimes since 1995, oversaw the paper's editorial page for six years, and has frequently written about gun control. It is typical because Collins has repeatedly demonstrated that she is unfamiliar with the firearms she wants to ban and unwilling to think through the practical consequences of the policies she favors, both of which are common failings among gun control enthusiasts.

After the 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, Collins expressed amazementat the idea that Americans have "a right to bear Glocks." She drew a distinction between the Glock 19 used by the Tucson shooter and "a regular pistol, the kind most Americans think of when they think of the right to bear arms." Unlike a "regular pistol," she explained, a Glock 19 "is extremely easy to fire over and over, and it can carry a 30-bullet clip."

Although Collins claims a Glock 19 is not "a regular pistol," it is one of the most popular handguns in the United States. And contrary to what she seems to think, all semi-automatic pistols fire at the same rate, and they typically accept magazines of various sizes.

In 2012, Collins described "assault weapons" as "guns that allow you to shoot off 100 bullets in a couple of minutes"i.e., about one round per second. That description would cover any semi-automatic firearm with a detachable magazine, including "regular" pistols as well as many of the rifles specifically exempted from the proposed federal ban on "assault weapons."

Three years later, Collins averred that "assault weaponsseem to be the armament of choice for mass shootings." Not according to a recent National Institute of Justice report on public mass shootings from 1966 through 2019, which found that 77 percent of the perpetrators used handguns. In the same column, Collins asserted that "semiautomatic weapons are totally inappropriate for either hunting or home defense," which would come as a surprise to the millions of Americans who use them for those purposes.

Collins continues her confusion in her latest column. She says Congress could "toughen background check laws" or "limit the sale of semiautomatics to people with hunting licenses"a puzzling suggestion in light of Collins' insistence that "semiautomatic weapons" are "totally inappropriate" for hunting. But Collins thinks it would be better to "just get rid of them."

There are a few problems with that proposal. Given how Collins has defined the guns she wants to eliminate, her ban would apply to a host of firearms "in common use" for "lawful purposes," which the Supreme Court has said are covered by the Second Amendment. The forbidden firearms would include most handguns, which the Court described as "the quintessential self-defense weapon."

Maybe Collins, when she refers to "semiautomatics," actually means the guns covered by the proposed federal "assault weapon" ban. But just as she does not understand how that category is defined, she does not seem to realize that the bill would not "get rid of" those firearms. Like the expired 1994 ban, it would allow current owners to keep them.

There are sound pragmatic reasons for that grandfather clause. Based on production and import data from 1990 through 2016, the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated that Americans owned more than 16 million guns that politicians would classify as "assault weapons." That number surely is even bigger now than it was six years ago. Even if legislators shared Collins' disregard for property rights, the Second Amendment, and the Fourth Amendment, any attempt to confiscate all those weapons would be a practical and political nightmare.

At the same time, the fact that maybe 20 million "assault weapons" would remain in circulation even if Congress renewed the ban means they would still be available to mass shooters who wanted them. And since the definition of "assault weapons" is based on functionally unimportant features (another point Collins overlooks), murderers would still have plenty of equally lethal alternatives even if all those guns disappeared tomorrow.

Unfazed by these considerations, Collins thinks it is obvious that Congress should ban "semiautomatics," "semiautomatic rifles," "assault rifles," or whatever. The important thing, she says, is to "think positive" and fight "a simple battle."

Collins does concede that "getting rid of assault rifles won't solve the gun problem as long as people in many states are allowed to own pistols and carry them when they stroll about the town." In reality, "getting rid of assault rifles"whatever Collins thinks they are and however that would be accomplishedcannot reasonably be expected to have any meaningful impact on "the gun problem."

Leaving aside all the other problems with that plan, it would not affect the firearms that murderers (including mass shooters) overwhelmingly prefer. In 2019, according to the FBI's numbers, handguns accounted for more than 90 percent of the weapons used in gun homicides where the type of firearm was specified. Just 5 percent of those guns were rifles, only a subset of which would qualify as "assault weapons."

Since Collins is dismayed by the fact that Americans are "allowed to own pistols"(even the "regular" kind), it is not hard to imagine what she thinks the next step should be. A handgun ban would be not just flagrantly unconstitutional and politically impossible but also utterly impractical. In a country where civilians own more than 400 million firearms, with handguns being the most common kind, the idea is nothing but a fantasy.

The same could be said of pretty much everything that Collins says about gun control. She routinely substitutes emotion for logic, offers anecdotes instead of evidence, and makes wildly wrong factual assertions that could be corrected by a quick Google search. The fact that her astonishing sloppiness and magical thinking pass for policy analysis in a leading newspaper speaks volumes about the state of the gun control debate.

Go here to read the rest:
New York Times Columnist Gail Collins Proposes a 'Simple Battle' To 'Get Rid of the Guns' - Reason

Our legislature and governor and also local county governments are very concerned that our citizenry are not carrying weapons and want to do something about it. Our local Board of Supervisors has proclaimed Jasper County a Second Amendment county resolving that they believe the Second Amendment to be crucial for the survival of our republic.

Now, I dont dispute that, but I am concerned that many of the citizenry either are unaware of the importance of gun ownership and dont follow these legislative encouragements; or, disagree with these efforts to have them arm themselves. And in support of this observation, I note that when walking in downtown Newton, I see no one carrying a gun. I can walk into one of the businesses on the square and it appears to be empty of firearms, unless, of course, a gun is being hidden in a purse or under a shirt. But what is the use of having a gun on you if you cant show it to the public and forestall any issue of having to use it. After all, if I meet someone with a gun in full view, I am less likely to attack that person or try to rob him or her. I really think they should be in plain view.

Unfortunately, this movement to encourage the carrying of weapons when out and about must have as its primary rationale the failure of our various law enforcement agencies to protect us from harm. I get the response when asking someone the reason he or she is carrying a weapon, or has a weapon in a car loaded and ready, that it is for protection. So, for instance, when shopping at Walmart, getting from the car to the front door could be perilous, and if any of you have googled the people of Walmart you are aware of the dangers lurking in the aisles there. I do note that Hy-Vee is heeding the cry for more security in hiring their own to patrol the isles. I would expect the meat counters might be the most hazardous especially now that meat prices have increased substantially.

But back to this idea of safety. Purportedly, the police the city hires, and the deputies the county hires are here to protect the citizens of Newton and Jasper County. There must be a surge in belief that they are failing in that duty. By spending their time stopping cars for various traffic offenses and arresting people for such things as driving under suspension rather they should be on the lookout for mayhem walking the streets of downtown Newton or other communities, keeping an eye out for trouble makers especially in gathering places such as schools, churches, taverns, restaurants, and in other ways protecting the citizens they are sworn to protect. Hauling some poor soul to jail for not having a drivers license doesnt seem to be an activity that protects us from harm. Normally those people need all the help they can get and rather than take them to jail, should be escorted to their destination. After all, it is the motto of our law enforcement that they are here to serve and protect. I can think of few services that would be better appreciated than law enforcement offering rides to people who dont have drivers licenses.

However, if safety is not the motivation for arming the public, then we have an altogether different analysis.

Richard E. H. Phelps II

Mingo

More here:
The gun thing Newton Daily News - Newton Daily News