A county in Illinois has declared itself a "sanctuary" for gun owners in an attempt to stand up to the state"s efforts to unconstitutionally restrict the Second Amendment.
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This is what we’ve come to in the United States. Children are getting suspended from school for going to a gun range as a family over the weekend to practice their fundamental human right of self-defense.
According to Fox News, a New Jersey high school came under fire Friday after it allegedly suspended two students over a gun photo taken during a family visit to a shooting range. News of the unnamed students’ suspension circulated through a Lacey Township Facebook group, according to NJ.com.
The kids were both in high school, but their suspension caused an uproar with a potential lawsuit against the school coming. The photo of four rifles, magazines, and a gun duffel bag was shared by one of the students on the social media app Snapchat with the caption “fun day at the range,” according to Lacey Township resident Amanda Buron, a family friend of one of the students.
The school claims that the students violated the school’s policy on weapons possession. Apparently, the school thinks they have the authority to extend any policy to weekends and the homes of the children as well now. This is like suspending a girl for wearing a spaghetti strap tank top to a bar-b-que on a day off school because she violated the dress code. Yes, it’s that insane, but that’s what their policy literally says.
The reality of the whole situation is that the school enacted an overreaching policy, which actually stated that “students could be suspended for up to a year if they are ‘reported to be in possession of a weapon of any type for any reason or purpose on or off school grounds,’” NJ.com reported further. Which basically means, the school is attempting to control kids even when they go home. So don’t practice or exercise your natural human right to self-defense if you attend a public school.
Lacey schools Superintendent Craig Wigley said in an email to NJ Advance Media on Thursday that “information posted on social media is incorrect” and that private matters involving students cannot be discussed. He declined to say what aspect of the accounts posted on social media is inaccurate.
Since the suspension, NJ.com reported that the “Lacey school district quietly changed” the policy, scrapping the off-school-grounds prohibition and eliminating suspension-length specificity. “‘Students are forbidden to carry any type of weapon or simulated weapon to school,’ the revamped policy states. ‘Strict disciplinary action and legal actions will result if this occurs,’” the news outlet detailed.
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“The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” – Samuel Adams, Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
With all of that is going on with these anti gunner politicians (surrounded by armed security detail) working hard for their special interest groups, rather then upholding the US Constitution, the US Constitution which they swore an oath to uphold, instead, and in using the tactic of “necessity” based off of some tragedy or massacre, which, in many cases, are induced false flag events (conspired black ops Jeremiah 11:9), one must understand the methods and the language of their enemies.
“Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” – William Pitt (the Younger), Speech in the House of Commons, November 18, 1783
“I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, January 30, 1787
Furthermore, when you look to the anti-gunner corrupt politicians and their methods one must ask where did they derive their delegated authority to encroach upon the God-given RIGHTS of the American people? I cannot find it! Why? Because it isn’t there (Hosea 4:6).
Americans must come to terms that corrupt politicians are not the type that you can help or rehabilitate; they are the type that you must lawfully remove, or you will lose your God-given RIGHTS! (Article 2, Section 4, US Constitution)
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” – President Thomas Jefferson
You must fight for your God-given RIGHTS! (Deuteronomy 1:8; James 2:14-26)
It is the difference between a FREE people, and an enslaved people there are no in-between (Luke 11:2).
“To disarm the people…[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them.” – George Mason, referencing advice given to the British Parliament by Pennsylvania governor Sir William Keith, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, June 14, 1788
Therefore, it might be well for you to take a couple of minutes and read what our forefathers had said in their writings during the ratifications to establish gun rights to Americans as a whole, namely the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights. Who knows better what the Second Amendment means than the Founding Fathers that established our God-given rights?
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
First, who are the militia?
“I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers.” – George Mason, Address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 4, 1788
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most natural defense of a free country.” – James Madison, I Annals of Congress 434, June 8, 1789
“A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves…and include, according to the past and general usuage of the states, all men capable of bearing arms… “To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.” – Richard Henry Lee, Federal Farmer No. 18, January 25, 1788
“What, Sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty …. Whenever Governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.” – Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, I Annals of Congress 750, August 17, 1789
Second, look to our American forefathers and how what they established contradicts the corruptions in the face of the present day criminal politicians (Psalm 94:20; Luke 22:48; John 8:44).
“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops.” – Noah Webster, An Examination of the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution, October 10, 1787
“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined…” – George Washington, First Annual Address, to both House of Congress, January 8, 1790
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” – Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
“What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, December 20, 1787
“The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes…. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” – Thomas Jefferson, Commonplace Book (quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria), 1774-1776
“A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 19, 1785
“The Constitution of most of our states (and of the United States) assert that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to to John Cartwright, 5 June 1824
“On every occasion [of Constitutional interpretation] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying [to force] what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, [instead let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, 12 June 1823
“Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of.” – James Madison, Federalist No. 46, January 29, 1788
“This may be considered as the true palladium of liberty…. The right of self-defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever standing armies are kept up, and the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” – St. George Tucker, Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, 1803
“The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms, like law, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The balance ofpower is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside. And while a single nation refuses to lay them down, it is proper that all should keep them up. Horrid mischief would ensue were one-half the world deprived of the use of them; for while avarice and ambition have a place in the heart of man, the weak will become a prey to the strong. The history of every age and nation establishes these truths, and facts need but little arguments when they prove themselves.” – Thomas Paine, “Thoughts on Defensive War” in Pennsylvania Magazine, July 1775
“The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally, even if these are successful in the first instance, enable the people to resist and triumph over them.”
– Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833
“For it is a truth, which the experience of ages has attested, that the people are always most in danger when the means of injuring their rights are in the possession of those of whom they entertain the least suspicion.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 25, December 21, 1787
“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual state. In a single state, if the persons intrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.” – Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 28
“As civil rulers, not having their duty to the people before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces which must be occasionally raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed by the article in their right to keep and bear their private arms.” – Tench Coxe, Philadelphia Federal Gazette, June 18, 1789
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are ruined…. The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able might have a gun.” – Patrick Henry, Speech to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 5, 1778
We have heard over and over from criminal anti-gunner politicians that we do not need 30 round magazines when it comes to our ability to protect ourselves.
Just a reminder to all, we do not need 30 rounds to hunt with, correct, but the Second Amendment was not written in case the deer turn against us, it was given in case our government does.
“The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it!”
Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media
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You may not have ever heard of Nick Freitas before, but I have a feeling we’ll all be hearing a lot about him soon. At first glance, this may seem very political, very Republican vs. Democrat.
But it’s not. It’s about logic versus emotion.
It’s about an eloquent defense of the Second Amendment and the reason that the gun control debate is stalled. And the response to this speech underlined everything that was said.
It’s about people who got so upset about historic facts that they had to leave the room instead of engaging in a discussion.
Last week, he gave a rousing speech on the floor of the Virginia House of Delegates in defense of the Second Amendment. Some of his key points:
One point he brought up that really spoke to me personally was the fact that not all gun-related acts of self-defense involve pulling the trigger and shooting the perpetrator. I know that in my own case during an attempted home invasion, just the presence of my gun and the perception of the would-be criminals that I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, deterred what could have been a heinous crime against me and my daughter.
Freitas said in the speech that we have an inherent right to defend ourselves and that he will not accept a false narrative. He pointed out that he and his fellow Republicans don’t believe Democrats when they say that all they want to do is ban bump stocks.
Freitas is a retired Green Beret who served 2 tours in Iraq. (source) He was elected to the state delegation in 2016 and is a self-described Libertarian-Republican.
Listen to the entire speech in the video below.
Apparently, facts are just mean.
Despite Freitas’s factual and logical arguments, a number of Democrat delegates actually walked out of the room during his recitation of horrific past policies that were instituted by their own party and his plea for mutual respect so that a real conversation could happen.
Delegate Lamont Bagley was really upset, calling the speech “hateful and divisive.”
“We realize that we live in a ugly political moment. So while we were offended, we were not surprised,” Bagby said. “It should embarrass every member of this body that we have allowed such rhetoric to enter these chambers. Bringing up a very painful past to make a political point is disgusting and poisonous.” (source)
Delegate Delores McQuinn, who walked out while Freitas was speaking, told reporters:
“Let us not bring in things that would be hurtful and painful to people who have to live in a skin that some of you will never know and have to endure a reality that being black in America is sometimes difficult.” (source)
Freitas seemed unconcerned at the outrage, responding:
“More and more, offense is used as a weapon with which to turn away debate.And I’m not going to accept that.” (source)
His speech was so popular that he was interviewed by Fox News, who played a clip of a Democrat, Delegate Joseph Lindsay, who said he was “offended as he had never been offended since being a part of this body” by Freitas’s passionate speech. He claimed that his colleagues were “emotionally shaken and bothered.”
Freitas wasn’t having any of it.
There aren’t many politicians that I’d say I would support, but Freitas just might be the exception. He’s currently running for the US Senate against Tim Kaine, who is the former governor of Virginia and was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in her failed bid for the presidency.
In his announcement for the bid, he promised to combat a worldview that “treats free people as if we were subjects instead of citizens.” He also said, “Quite frankly, establishment elements from both sides of the aisle have been responsible in thinking themselves made from finer clay than the rest of humanity.” (source)
Yep, I’m pretty sure we’ll be hearing more about Nick Freitas.
The post How “Offended” and “Emotionally Shaken” Lawmakers Responded to This Viral Gun Speech by Nick Freitas (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
Gun control advocates are shouting from the rooftops about disarming the public and arming only police officers. and deputies like those under the guidance of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
Why do we need guns, they posit, when trained professionals will protect us? The NRA is evil, they cry, let’s shut them down, Meanwhile, they’re ignoring apathy and inaction (at best) of the people who had the authority to have prevented this tragic event by enforcing laws which already exist.
Yesterday, I shared at length the in-house documentation of the lapses made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case of Nikolas Cruz. Today, I’d like to discuss the trail of errors by local law enforcement that culminated in the deaths of 17 people at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14th. After reading this article and the one that preceded it, let me know in the comments if you really think “law enforcement” will save you when things go bad.
Let me preface this by stating that I don’t think all cops are bad, lazy, or cowardly. Every police officer who I know personally would have rushed into that building and risked their lives to protect those kids. I blame the bureaucracy, the failed leadership of Sheriff Scott Israel, and the specific deputies who were derelict not just the day of the shooting, but for ten years preceding the shooting.
Nikolas Cruz watched his father die of a cardiac arrest when he was only 5 years old. “…when Cruz was just 5, he came into his kitchen crying. When mom Lynda asked him, “What’s the matter, did Daddy punish you?,” he answered, “Nope. Daddy’s dead.”” (source)
As a young teen, his mother saw him cut up a dead bird on the kitchen counter to “see what was inside.” (source) His disturbing social media history included the following events:
Cruz was first diagnosed with behavioral issues when he was only 3 years old and these wide-ranging issues continued.
He had been diagnosed with a string of disorders and conditions: depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotional behavioral disability and autism, records from the state Department of Children and Families show. His mom told sheriff’s deputies he also had obsessive-compulsive disorder and anger issues.
He had counselors in school and at home, according to DCF records, and he took medications…
…In January 2017… Cruz inexplicably stopped undergoing mental health treatment. (source)
His mother passed away last November when the flu turned into pnuemonia.
His former classmates weren’t at all surprised to learn he had been the shooter. A few of the stories they told to the media were:
Cruz was transferred between 6 schools in three years and was always in trouble. “Teachers and other students said he kicked doors, cursed at teachers, fought with and threatened classmates and brought a backpack with bullets to school. He collected a string of discipline for profanity, disobedience, insubordination, and disruption.” (source)
Cruz was expelled from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School for disciplinary issues. (source)
For the sake of ease, I’ll just list these blunders off in bullet form.
The people around Cruz pleaded with law enforcement to recognize that the boy was a real threat with numerous reports.
But it appears that their calls to the Sheriff’s office fell on deaf ears. Had any of these encounters been followed up with the appropriate actions, Cruz’s name would have been in a database and he wouldn’t have been able to legally purchase a firearm.
The next part of this tale is even more disturbing. On the day of the shooting, an armed, uniformed Sheriff’s deputy was on site and never even entered the building.
Sheriff Israel strongly denounced Peterson but denies any responsibility for the deputy’s inaction.
“As I said, I’m the Sheriff, my name’s on the door,” Israel said. “The people responsible are the ones who took the calls and didn’t follow up on them, as it was with the FBI, as it was with any person.”
“Leaders are responsible for the agency, but leaders are not responsible for a person,” Israel told the station. “I gave him a gun. I gave him a badge. I gave him the training. If he didn’t have the heart to go in, that’s not my responsibility.” (source)
However, it turns out that Peterson wasn’t the only person from the Sheriff’s department who did nothing. Sheriff Israel’s men were the first on the scene.
When Coral Springs police officers arrived, they were shocked to discover that the deputies had not yet entered the building. 130 officers from the Coral Springs PD responded and commendably, raced into the building immediately. (source)
Zero Hedge reported:
Some Coral Springs police were stunned and upset that the four original Broward County Sheriff’s deputies who were first on the scene did not appear to join them as they entered the school, Coral Springs sources tell CNN. It’s unclear whether the shooter was still in the building when they arrived.
The four Broward Sheriff’s deputies, including fired High School Resource Officer Scot Peterson, had their pistols drawn from behind the safety of their vehicles, and “not one of them had gone into the school,” according to shocked Coral Springs police.
The Coral Springs officers, meanwhile, entered the building soon after they arrived on scene to confront the shooter, while the four Broward County Sheriff’s deputies remained outside until two more officers arrived on scene along with an officer from neighboring Sunrise city.
What these Coral Springs officers observed — though not their feelings about it — will be released in a report, likely next week. Sources cautioned that tapes are currently being reviewed and official accounts could ultimately differ from recollections of officers on the scene.
Many have asked the question of whether these deputies were cowards or if they were ordered to stand down to push an agenda.
The Coral Springs PD was definitely not pleased with the deputies’ lack of participation…or their glory-hogging.
The resentment among Coral Springs officials toward Broward County officials about what they perceived to be a dereliction of duty may have reached a boiling point at a vigil the night of February 15, where, in front of dozens of others, Coral Springs City Manager Mike Goodrum confronted Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel. A source familiar with the conversation tells CNN that Goodrum was upset that the Broward deputies had remained outside the school while kids inside could have been bleeding out, among other reasons…
…Coral Springs Police Chief Tony Pustizzi addressed some of the concerns voiced by his officers in an internal email obtained by CNN that said, among other items, “I understand that another agency has given the impression that it had provided the majority of the rescue efforts, and that the tremendous work of the Coral Springs Police and Fire Departments has not been recognized. (source)
While taking all the credit, Sheriff Israel takes no responsibility for the botched work of his office and somehow blames the NRA for the entire debacle.
At a televised town hall last week, Israel took no responsibility for the failures of his department. Instead he presented himself as the protector of the public while suggesting the NRA is a direct threat.
“You won’t be on [our] side, until you start pushing for less guns,” he told NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch.
This is troubling because even as he stood on that stage, Sheriff Israel knew–though his audience didn’t—that one of his officers took cover in the parking lot and left the shooter to roam the school halls. The very strategy Israel was advocating—rely on the police for your personal safety, not armed citizens—had failed, and he knew it. When the facts came out later in the week, Sheriff Israel’s performance appeared shockingly dishonest.
Instead of apologizing, however, Sheriff Israel doubled down, bragging Sunday morning that he has provided “amazing leadership” to Broward County. “I have led this county proudly… it’s not the responsibility of the general or the president, if you have a deserter.”
High self-praise for a law enforcement official who just had 17 people killed on his watch. (source)
I couldn’t make up this mindboggling narcissistic lack of awareness if I tried. In a bizarre interview with CNN explaining why he refuses to resign, Israel managed to deflect any blame and praise himself.
“I can’t predict how an investigation is going, but I’ve exercised my due diligence, I’ve led this county proudly as I always have… we have restricted that deputy as we look into it…”
Tapper angrily asked about the department’s decision to ignore the red flags…
‘If ifs and butts were candy and nuts OJ Simpson would still be in the record books,’ Israel replied in his rambling TV appearance.
Tapper then asked Israel: ‘At this point sir, do you understand how the public, seeing red flag after red flag… warning after warning… they hear that your office didn’t even initiate a report?! How could there not even be a report on this?’
Israel replied: ‘Well, if that’s accurate Jake, there needed to be a report and that’s what we’re looking into.’
He pointed the blame to officer Peterson, who he said was wrong by failing to forward the reports to Homeland Security or the Violent Crimes Unit. (source)
It’s interesting, although not related to this story, to note that Sheriff Israel has previously been accused of corruption, allegations to which he responded with fun phrases like, “”What have I done differently than Don Shula or Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King, Gandhi?” and “Lions don’t care about the opinions of sheep.” (source)
Meanwhile, people are loudly demonizing gun owners and the NRA on social and mainstream media, while suggesting we all hand over our weapons so these yahoos can “protect us.” Sheriff Israel himself has a history of being vocally anti-gun, “opposing open-carry legislation and one law that would allow concealed weapons on campuses.” (source)
So basically, he opposed anything that might have saved those kids.
The lack of logic in this premise is truly astounding, but one thing is blatantly clear. If you need to protect yourself, chances are that you’ll be completely on your own. And I’m improving my chances of survival by being armed because I certainly can’t depend on folks like Sheriff Israel and his team.
The post Here’s What Sheriff Israel’s Deputies Did to Prevent and Stop the Parkland School Shooting (But They Don’t Want US to Have Guns) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
This morning when I was reading the headlines, I came across one that talked about the companies which still supported the NRA after all the ridiculous boycotts that caused other businesses to withdraw their support. I eagerly clicked the link and saw this sub-headline:
Come for the discounts, stay for the opposition to common sense gun laws.
What???
Of course, then I saw that it was ThinkProgress and wasn’t surprised anymore, but I figured I should make my own list that was a bit more positive than their dismal droning, blaming the guiltless NRA instead of the FBI or the other law enforcement agencies that actually WERE at fault for not stopping the school shooting in Florida that took the lives of 17 people on Valentine’s Day.
For more information, read Part 1 and Part 2 of my investigation into the shooting.
*Climbs off soapbox.*
In the article, Josh Israel (any relation to Sheriff Scott Israel?) and Kira Lerner ranted:
After the shooting in Parkland, Florida, the NRA has been the focus of renewed national attention, as the group continues to successfully block any legislation to curb gun violence on the national level. Dallas’ mayor pro tem told the NRA Monday that the group will be “met with opposition” if it holds its scheduled May conference in his city. And over the weekend, hundreds of people gathered outside the group’s Virginia headquarters to hold a vigil and protest.
ThinkProgress asked more than two dozen corporations that offer incentives to NRA members whether they plan to continue their relationships with the gun lobby. A growing number of those companies have ended their relationship with the NRA since this list was initially published. (source)
Anyway, the following companies haven’t caved to pressure and continue to support the NRA. If you get a chance, you can support them in return.
Shots fired.
The NRA denounced those companies in a statement, saying:
“Some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice.
Let it be absolutely clear. The loss of a discount will neither scare nor distract one single NRA member from our mission to stand and defend the individual freedoms that have always made America the greatest nation in the world.” (source)
The companies which have caved to the public pressure of websites like ThinkProgress are:
ThinkProgress smugly concluded:
In early 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting, ThinkProgress published a similar list. Since that time, several companies have discontinued their relationships with the pro-gun group. Following a grassroots pressure campaign led by the global advocacy group Avaaz.org, both Best Western and Wyndham hotels stopped offering an NRA discount…
…A similar pressure campaign by a coalition of LGBTQ rights groups and gun violence prevention organizations began pressuring FedEx to do the same in 2016, but has not yet had success. (source)
It’s astonishing to me that the NRA is being publicly crucified, yet none of these people are talking about the failures of the FBI, the Broward County Sheriff’s office, or the local police to follow the laws that are already on the books.
Then again, I guess it isn’t really that astonishing at all. But it certainly demonstrates where their priorities are.
The post These Companies Still Support the NRA appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge
A record number of firearms enthusiasts made their way to the Florida State Fairgrounds this weekend to attend the Florida Gun Show, amid a fierce national debate over gun rights following the Valentine’s Day massacre at Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida.
Organizers say almost 7,000 people attended on Saturday, with Sunday’s tally expected to be higher. Organizer Steve Fernandez said they’ve never seen such a large crowd – however it’s possible that the cancellation of next month’s show in Fort Lauderdale may have attracted concerned citizens.
The line outside the Florida Gun Show is growing by the minute. Yesterday, an estimated 7K people attended, which organizers say was a huge turnout for Tampa @BN9 pic.twitter.com/WTW75lWZmJ
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) February 25, 2018
Inside a Florida gun show, days after the Parkland shooting https://t.co/53tqAnQNTp pic.twitter.com/fIgw9OhDU4
— Bloomberg (@business) February 21, 2018
Hundreds have signed up for firearms safety training classes at the Florida Gun Show & organizers say it’s a big spike from years past @BN9 pic.twitter.com/sDA7mcsEXG
— Angie Angers (@angie_angers) February 25, 2018
Just 3 days after Florida"s worst ever school shooting….Floridians flood to a gun show to further arm themselves with high powered assault weapons. pic.twitter.com/igy2mUu8mo
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 18, 2018
Somewhat ironically, this was to be expected considering the massive effort by gun control advocates to erode as much of the Second Amendment as they can in the wake of the Parkland shooting – never letting a crisis go to waste and all that. President Trump’s recent advocacy for more stringent background checks, a 10-day waiting period and raising the age limit on the purchase of guns following the Parkland shooting likely fueled concerns over a “slippery slope” of firearms legislation.
Florida lawmakers such as Senator Bill Nelson (D) have called for stricter laws to fix the so-called “gun show loophole” which allows people to purchase firearms without a background check. While federally licensed vendors at a gun show are still required to run background checks (FFL), private sellers without a federal license do not have the same requirement in 40 states. (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington all require private sellers to conduct background checks).
“Some of the people attending are afraid that future legislation will impact their gun ownership rights,” said Fernandez. That said, 95% of the vendors at this weekend’s Florida Gun Show are required to run background checks since they are licensed dealers.
Also of note, suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz passed a background check before legally purchasing a semiautomatic AR-15 style rifle.
“This was a mental health issue. This is someone who should have been identified from the beginning by law enforcement,” says Fernandez.
In any event, Google searches for both “buy a gun”, “buy AR15”, as well as “second amendment” just hit all time highs.
Interest in firearms ownership also spiked following President Obama’s 2008 election – as a flurry of “gun control” headlines resulted in a flood of purchases – as evidenced by number of FBI background checks conducted following the 2008 election – a phenomenon which spiked after every mass shooting or act of domestic terrorism:
Indeed, Obama was jokingly referred to as the “best gun salesman in America,” with 52,600 weapons sold daily under his administration as of June 2016.
Wall St. pushes back
Following the Parkland massacre, over a dozen major companies cut ties with the NRA, including Delta, Hertz and MetLife. Wall St. is no exception. In addition to Bank of America “reexamining relationships with clients who make AR-15s,” Blackrock – the world’s largest money manager – and the largest shareholder in gunmakers in Sturm Ruger & Company and American Outdoor Brands (Smith & Wesson) said it will speak with both manufacturers about their response to the Florida shooting.
Gunmakers may also come under pressure from pensions – such as Florida’s state pension, which holds shares of American Outdoor Brands. As Bloomberg put it, “as Florida teachers grieve over the mass shooting that left 17 students and colleagues dead last week, some of them may be surprised to learn they’ve been helping fund the firearms industry—including the company that made the gun used that bloody Wednesday.”
Investment giant Blackstone Group, LP asked outside fund managers at a dozen hedge funds to detail their ownership in companies that make or sell guns, requesting answers by Sunday night – a one day turnaround.
Perhaps this explains why both shares in Ruger (RGR) and American Outdoor Brands (ABOC) have remained depressed in light of the predictable bump in sales which correspond with the renewed debate over gun control.
For reference, American Outdoor Brands and Ruger are down roughly -7% and -5% YTD respectively, while the S&P 500 is up 5.64%.
Meanwhile, guns are flying off the shelves…
FLORIDA GUN SHOW I Organizers say they saw record numbers yesterday with close to 7k people showing up and they expect more today! They also tell me they do not support a ban on assault rifles but more laws for mental health. @10NewsWTSP pic.twitter.com/95YGMKGl3E
— Shannon Valladolid (@ShannonMarieTV) February 25, 2018
Not understanding that maybe Americans actually want to be free and armed to ensure it stays that way, one Democrat is instead employing mental gymnastics. Adam Schiff thinks that the Russians promoted the second amendment because Americans would “kill each other.”
Pulled right out of the “You can’t make this stuff up file,” Schiff made his latest absurd remarks last week at a University of Pennsylvania event where he claimed that Russians were posting content “designed to pit us against each other, to exploit our divisions.” Those pesky Russians must have nothing more to do than interfere with the lives of individual Americans…
According to the Daily Wire, Schiff made some rather mentally deranged comments that will have your sides sore with laughter. “They also trumpeted the Second Amendment,” Schiff said. “Apparently, the Russians are very big fans of our Second Amendment. They don’t particularly want a Second Amendment of their own, but they’re really glad that we have one. The Russians would be thrilled if we were doing nothing but killing each other every day, and sadly we are.”
Schiff recently went on two national TV shows to suggest that another Oklahoma-City style bombing is also going to happen because President Donald Trump and the Republicans released the House Intelligence Committee’s memo on Friday.
Democrat Adam Schiff: Russians Promoted 2nd Amendment So Americans Would ‘Kill Each Other’
Although funny, several Democrats in the comments agreed with Schiff’s assessment.
Democrat Adam Schiff: Russians Promoted 2nd Amendment So Americans Would ‘Kill Each Other’ pic.twitter.com/WW5P1K70pm
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
The post It’s Getting Deep: Dem Says Russians Promoted 2nd Amendment so Americans Would ‘Kill Themselves’ appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
When news that a “concealed-carry reciprocity law” had been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, gun owners all over the nation rejoiced. But what most people didn’t realize is that there had been a last minute change to the bill that could substantially increase the number of Americans that are banned from buying guns. This poison pill completely ruins the bill, and it must be voted down. What we need is a clean “concealed-carry reciprocity bill” that does not include “Fix-NICS” in it.
Let’s start at the beginning. Last week, gun owners were elated when the House passed a bill that would enable them “to legally carry concealed weapons across state lines”…
Republicans rammed a bill through the House on Wednesday that would make it easier for gun owners to legally carry concealed weapons across state lines, the first significant action on guns in Congress since mass shootings in Nevada and Texas killed more than 80 people.
The House approved the bill, 231-198, largely along party lines. Six Democrats voted yes, while 14 Republicans voted no.
The measure would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. It now goes to the Senate.
It would be easy to assume that since virtually every single Republican voted for this bill that it must be a good thing.
But it turns out that a change was inserted into the bill at the last moment that many lawmakers never read. According to Fox News, the bill “contained an 11th-hour change to help states and agencies enter such data as criminal and domestic-violence convictions into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun purchases”.
A few member of the House immediately figured out what was going on and decided to vote against the bill. One of them was U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert…
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) explained on Wednesday that he could not support national reciprocity because House Leadership added the gun control expansions of “Fix-NICS” to it.
“Fix-NICS” is a measure Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and John Cornyn (R-TX) support. It responds to the Air Force’s failure to report Devin Kelley’s criminal history by expanding the number of people who will be barred from gun possession going forward.
So exactly how many people could be “barred from gun possession going forward”?
Well, according to Gun Owners Of America, even people with “unpaid traffic tickets” could be banned from owning guns under this bill…
The goal of the Cornyn-Feinstein-Murphy-Schumer bill is to force every single potential NICS name to be sent to the FBI’s NICS system.
It was prompted by reports that the Air Force did not send the name of the Sutherland Springs shooter to NICS — even though he certainly could have gotten a firearm in a wide variety of ways, even if he had been in NICS, and even though his carnage was stopped by the real solution to violence … a good guy with a gun.
The problem is that, because of this isolated horror story, the Cornyn bill could add the names of millions of additional law-abiding Americans to NICS.
You already know of the 257,000 veterans who have lost their rights because of a bad experience in Iraq.
You already know that 95% of NICS denials are “false positives.”
And you probably also know that “Fix NICS” would require that the rolls of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and ObamaCare be trolled for recipients with PTSD, ADHD, or Alzheimer’s — that is, people who have had guardians appointed.
What you may not know is that the SECOND LARGEST CATEGORY of prohibited persons is “fugitives from justice” — and that a good portion of these are Americans who have UNPAID TRAFFIC TICKETS.
Needless to say, I would have voted against this bill, and as a member of CongressI will never compromise on the 2nd Amendment even a single inch. If you believe in what we are trying to do, I hope that you will help us to win next May.
Even though Donald Trump is in the White House, the enemies of the 2nd Amendment are still trying to sneak gun control measures through Congress, and we need leaders in Washington that will tirelessly defend our rights.
The post The Gun Bill That Is Going Through Congress Could Significantly Increase The Number Of Americans Banned From Buying Guns appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many are planning festivities which include feasts and gatherings with friends and family. But some others, like gun control activists, seek to make your holiday as miserable as possible.
Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, used the trending hashtag #ThanksgivingWeek to call on parents to inquire about guns in homes where their child may be visiting this year.
It’s #ThanksgivingWeek: Have you asked the friends and family your kids are visiting if there are guns in their homes and how they store them? https://t.co/pyvEUh4N3m
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) November 20, 2017
Watts has been fighting against gun owners for years, pushing for gun control legislation, and has encouraged businesses to adopt gun-free policies. She is also the board chair for Rise to Run, an organization focused on encouraging communist young women to run for office.
But once again, proving that leftists are actually the violent ones who wish for the death of those who don’t believe the same fantasies they do, the lemmings who follow Watts were out in full force.
Guns in Trunpist families should be stored as recklessly as possible.
— grailsnail (@grailsnail) November 20, 2017
What most leftists don’t realize is that most gun owners don’t care about their emotions. They probably will relish a Thanksgiving dinner without the political diarrhea that so many gun control activists spew. If I were asked the question Watts proposed, I would tell the person asking that it’s none of their business and if they don’t like then tough.
Because the cold hard truth no liberal wants to realize, is that gun control will only affect those willing to follow those laws and punishes those who have committed no crime. There’s no other way to look at it, and until the communists on the left can realize that, Thanksgiving may be more enjoyable without them.
Personally, I think that liberals and communists have an issue with gun rights because those are the people who can tell them “no” and back it up. It’s hard to control a person who’s armed when you only bring your feelings to the fight.
By now, everyone has heard about the horrific shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which a man dressed in tactical gear entered the First Baptist Church and opened fire. 26 people were killed and 20 others were injured.
Of course, the tears were still wet on people’s cheeks when the anti-gun folks began screaming for gun control. Chelsea Handler, struggling to be relevant, made this ignorant Tweet:
If these folks had their way, none of us would be allowed to be armed…except, of course, the criminals who wouldn’t follow the laws anyway. The New York Times published an op-ed solemnly titled, “It’s Not Too Soon to Debate Gun Control” immediately on the heels of the shooting. Okay. If that’s what you want, then here’s my side of the debate. And it’s based on facts, not on emotional rhetoric.
Let’s be honest. The person to blame for this tragedy was the shooter.
It’s essential to note that the shooter was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force for assaulting his wife and child, and due to this, it is illegal for him to have a gun.
Huh. What a shock. A criminal who broke the law (by lying on his background check) and got a gun.
Let me just emphasize that the shooter circumvented our existing gun laws and got a gun anyway.
Because people who are going to commit a crime like shooting 46 people do not worry about silly things like lying on a background check.
What the gun-control people are missing is that it was a neighbor with a gun who ended this cowardly attack on unarmed churchgoers. This is the part of the story that gun control advocates don’t want you to hear. It’s the part that they conveniently ignore while screaming that guns are the problem.
If it hadn’t been for two brave men and judicious marksmanship, Kelley’s killing spree could have continued. There could be more dead bodies in Sutherland Springs, Texas this morning.
Because the police didn’t show up until this situation was long over.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, church neighbor Stephen Willeford “grabbed his rifle and engaged the suspect.” Willeford was alerted by his daughter, who called him and said that a man in body armor was shooting people in the church.
He grabbed his gun and bravely headed down to confront the killer.
The local said that while Willeford has no military experience, he is an excellent shot, and when he came face to face with Kelley, he didn’t hesitate; he shot in between Kelley’s body armor, hitting him in his side.
The 26-year-old had dropped his Ruger assault rifle and climbed in an SUV to flee the scene.
He said that Kelley had taken a hostage in the passenger seat as he fled. (source)
What would have happened if Willeford hadn’t taken action?
Authorities said the armed neighbor may have saved countless lives by opening fire on Kelley and forcing him to flee the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs during his 11:30 a.m. massacre. (source)
Another report said that Kelley had “several guns” in his SUV. What was Kelley planning to do once he left the church? We’ll never know because of two brave men.
The story didn’t end there in the church parking lot, though.
Another local resident, Johnnie Langendorff, happened to drive through the intersection when Willeford and Kelley were exchanging gunfire. He picked Willeford up, and the two men pursued the shooter.
“The shooter of the church had taken off, fled in his vehicle, the other gentleman came and said we need to pursue him. And that’s what I did…
He got a little bit of a jump on us. We were doing about 95 (mph) down (Route) 539 going around traffic and everything. Eventually he came to a kind of a slowdown and after that we got within just a few feet of him and then he got off the road.
He just lost control. That is when I put the vehicle in park and I was still on the phone to dispatch (police). The other gentleman jumped out and has his rifle drawn on him. He didn’t move after that.”
Police arrived within five to seven minutes to the location where the shooter stopped. (source)
Let me repeat, it took police FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTES to get to the location where the shooter stopped. This was after the two men had chased him for a distance and after a man engaged the shooter and after he had opened fire on a church. So we have to be talking about at least 10 minutes. At least.
Kelley must have realized there was no escape and shot himself after he ran off the road.
The man who killed at least 26 people in a Baptist church in a rural Texas town on Sunday died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt told CBS News in an interview on Monday morning….
“There was some gunfire exchanged, I believe, on the roadway also, and then (the shooter’s vehicle) wrecked out,” said Tackitt. “At this time we believe that he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after he wrecked out.” (source)
So tell me again about how civilized people should call the police and wait for help. Tell me about how dangerous it is for Americans to have guns and take the responsibility for their own safety.
Maybe today, I wouldn’t be writing about dead children. A two-year-old. A six-year-old. An 8-year-old. A fourteen-year-old.
Maybe I wouldn’t be writing about 26 people who were mowed down by a criminal who had a gun illegally. Maybe when Kelley stopped to reload, someone could have stopped him.
Instead, the people in that church were powerless victims.
The post Here’s the Story about the Texas Church Shooting Gun Control Advocates Don’t Want You to Hear appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.
