Archive for the 'Gun Control' Category

After passage in the House and Senate, and signature by the governor of S.C., the exception was made in the new law that cities could ban open carry in public buildings and parades.  With that exception, there has been a massive scramble to do just this.  It’s now Columbia, Greenville, Charleston, Spartanburg, and now Conway.

CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — Conway’s police chief supports the new rule passed by Conway City Council Monday that bans openly carrying guns in city buildings and during city-sponsored events.

The City of Conway passed the second and final reading of a new gun law following Monday’s city council meeting.

“It’s just an ongoing process of trying to get some things that would help out with some of our city buildings and venues,” Conway Police Chief Dale Long said.

The new ordinance was unanimously passed at Monday’s city council meeting.

“You cannot carry into state house, you can’t carry it into the state senators or legislators office, you can’t carry it in courthouses,” Long said. “And we just decided here in the City of Conway, there’s a need for our city buildings, like coming into the police station or go into city court.”

In November, the City of Florence also passed an ordinance implementing those same restrictions. As Conway joins it, News13 reached out to other cities to see if they had considered the same.

In a statement from North Myrtle Beach public information officer, Pat Dowling, he said: “Weapons are not allowed in city buildings in NMB, including concealed weapons. the city has not addressed open carry at city events.”

For other cities like Darlington and Hartsville, the issue has yet to come to council.

“We are still exploring the best path forward for this in the city of Hartsville to keep all of our employees and residents safe in city facilities and at events,” Lauren Baker, public information officer for the City of Hartsville, said in a statement to News13.

Long said he believes this was a good call on council’s part in keeping the community safe.

“If you’re coming to do city business and at times, there could be things that you’re not happy with the way things would go. And we just wanted to make sure that we try to de-escalate things before they could even become a problem,” he said.

But of course the police chief supports a ban, as they will support gun bans everywhere, all of the time.  And that last paragraph makes no sense whatsoever … “there could be things that you’re not happy with the way things would go.”

It doesn’t even make grammatical sense, and it doesn’t because he can’t even elucidate the concern.

But boy do we feel safer.  Guys are hiding their weapons rather than carrying them openly.

But hey, as long as they’re hidden from view, they don’t exist …

Via TTAG, this missive.

As a teacher in Northeast Ohio high schools for over 20 years, a special kind of horror fills me when I hear about bills like HB 99. Here are a few of the reasons why more guns in schools is no solution.

For us teachers, many experiences in our lives are teachable moments. There are lessons to be had in all that happens to us as individuals and as a society. The lessons we choose to learn will determine our actions. Bringing guns into our schools conveys one monumental lesson: that we should deal with violence in our society with greater threats of violence. As students go out into the world, will they take that lesson with them? Who else should carry guns? Doctors? Engineers? Nursing home employees? Is the effective solution to violence just more potential for violence?

Wait.  I’m an engineer and I carry guns!

In fact, I think it’s a grand idea if nursing home employees carried firearms, at least a few of them.  Whom else will defend the residents from home invasion.  Of course, it’s a better arrangement if there were no nursing homes and families took care of their own, but that’s a sticky wicket and very complicated.  I had an aunt with dementia who couldn’t be left alone because she had a propensity to throw hand towels down on hot stove units, so you couldn’t even take a trip to work or the store.

I am not making a comment on this particular judge – it just seems that they get so many decisions very wrong, and it’s nice to see someone get it right.

We’ve heard the quote by Mark Twain, “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” But when it comes to firearms laws, it appears that this concept has transformed into a strategy, as Nevada’s Assembly Bill 286, which banned not only 80 percent lowers, but any unfinished firearm, was deemed unconstitutional by a State Judge. So while the Governor signed into law an unconstitutional ban, the justice system eventually caught up, striking down the infringement on Nevada citizens’ human rights. In this case, Polymer80 is the unsung hero, as they put in the hard work to bring this to court.

[ … ]

In deciding to issue summary judgment, Judge Schlegelmilch held that a trial was not needed, and that Polymer80 was immediately entitled to both a Declaratory Judgment that AB286 was unduly and unconstitutionally void for vagueness, and a Permanent Injunction forever banning enforcement of key provisions in the new enactment for that reason. Judge Schlegelmilch, who upon Polymer80’s motion had preliminarily prevented enforcement of those provisions in July 2021, specifically found that Sections 3 and 3.5 of AB286 were unconstitutionally ambiguous in their language criminalizing, among other things, the possession, sale, transfer, transport, and manufacture of “unfinished frames or receivers.” Polymer80 had argued that this said criminalization would threaten its very existence. In that respect, the Court further found that the definition of an “unfinished frame or receiver” incorporated in those two Sections was exceedingly and unconstitutionally vague in its use and reliance upon various terms including, among others, “blank,” “casting,” and “machined body” that were undefined in the statute and did not have accepted common meanings.

Yea, it would have been better if the judge had told the state of Nevada to go pound sand forever, but that’s not how this works.

Never give up, never get disheartened, always fight the controllers at every step.  Counter their every move, all of the time.

Nor should you.

I heard from the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) that the Preventing Gun Violence Through Financial Intelligence Act (House Bill 5764/Senate Bill 3117) was introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. It “aims to would require financial institutions to turn over information on firearms and accessory purchases to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for developing an advisory about the identification and reporting of suspicious activity.” This is bad legislation. Please contact your senators and congressman, to oppose it.

It’s a shame that we’re even here, but with slimy cretins like Graham, Cornyn, Murkowski, Collins, Romney and Murkowski, we’re always at risk.

Mom-at-Arms has the news.  Gun Feed also covers.  North American Arms decided that they don’t care about you or your beliefs.

“I don’t believe the vaccines are safe”.  How much data, gathered over what period of time, will it take to put this false narrative to bed?

“I don’t believe the vaccines are effective”.  While there have been some, few instances of people contracting COVID after having been vaccinated, the effects they suffer are, almost without exception, an order of magnitude less severe than they would have been otherwise.

“I have already contracted the disease and so I already have some level of immunity and see no benefit from vaccination”.  Right on the first count, wrong on the second; you can be certain that your immunity will only be bolstered with a vaccination.

“I am afraid of suffering side effects from the vaccination”.   While some have reported this to be the case, there are stunningly few and the effects are modest/weak and very short-lived.

“My circumstance puts me at a heightened risk from being vaccinated”.  I don’t know what circumstance that is; it most certainly does not apply to those attempting to become pregnant, for example.

“I have a history of adverse allergic reactions”.  Maybe.  That alone has a taint of legitimacy.

“I claim a religious exemption”.  For the life of me, I can’t understand the basis of such a thing.  What religion would advocate against something that will protect your life and that of others?  Certainly none that I’ve ever heard of.  Go ask the Pope.

“I can’t afford it”.  Bullshit; it’s free.

“I don’t know where to find it”.  Are you living under a rock?

“I’m a freedom-loving American and I simply don’t want to”.  Ahhh, here we go.  This is far and away the most frequent – and lamest – excuse.  Even Donald Trump, the poster-child for the selfish exercise of frequently nonsensical individual freedoms (“I’m not wearing a mask because I don’t want to”.) has been vaccinated and has encouraged other people to do so as well (NB he’s also previously contracted the disease, above).  As a member of a society, you have an obligation not to threaten the health and well-being of others, particularly when doing so comes at no risk or expense to you.

I’ll admit I enjoy no small measure of schadenfreude reading stories of those stubborn people who find themselves stricken and on death’s door, suffering from their earlier foolish decision not to get vaccinated.  I look at it almost as a Darwinian effect, helping cleanse our gene pool.  Excuse my lack of sympathy.  Too bad.  Completely avoidable.  Didn’t have to happen.

I will ask the pope nothing at all.  He’s an unbeliever and godless communist and has an adviser who is a Gaia worshiper and atheist.  Besides, I’ve written on this subject and if the author of this stupid and ill-informed missive took the time he could have studied the issue as well.

When a writer gets to the point that he’s telling people (he doesn’t even know) that he doesn’t care if they live or die, something has gone badly wrong.  It’s time to take a long break and stop writing.  Something is deeply disturbed and wrong in the soul.

He also doesn’t seem to be very well aware of the real data on adverse reactions (see also here, and here, and here).  It doesn’t really matter.  He’s just aping the crap he hears on CNN.

Either way, he’s jettisoned his following, defenestrated them, thrown them out the window.  He doesn’t care any more for whatever reason.  He tried to apologize, but it fails.

Good job, dummy.  You just destroyed your business.  Go find another job now.

I’ll file this one under gun control.

News from Florida.

Some top Florida Republican lawmakers have now said they would support constitutional carry legislation in the upcoming session.

The policy would allow all legal gun owners to carry firearms without a concealed weapons license.

The constitutional carry legislation was filed by the Legislature’s most outspoken conservative member, Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

“Our very liberal Republican Speaker Chris Sprowls has gotten tens of thousands of emails from gun groups,” said Sabatini.

The policy is split into two bills.

The first would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a license.

“You don’t have to go ask the government for permission,” said Sabatini.

The second would allow for open carry.

“You shouldn’t have the duty to hide your firearm if you’ve done nothing wrong,” said Sabatini.

Eskamani said she’s doubtful Sabatini’s bills will get a hearing, due to his strained relationship with the House speaker.

“Sabatini does not have a lot of leverage within the chamber,” said Eskamani.

But recently, top brass in the Senate indicated they would support constitutional carry legislation, including Senate Majority Leader Debbie Mayfield.

“I support constitutional carry. That is one of the things that we will probably be looking at this session because it is important,” said Mayfield in a legislative delegation meeting last week.

Florida GOP Chair and State Sen. Joe Gruters said he might support constitutional carry, but doesn’t want to see assault weapons openly carried on beaches.

“Because I think that would adversely impact Florida’s tourism economy,” said Gruters.

While there seems to be some support for constitutional carry legislation in the Senate, a bill hasn’t yet been filed in the chamber.

I predict it won’t go anywhere this session.  Florida has a horrible history on gun control.  But it will eventually pass in coming sessions with enough effort.

You know what would help the case?  If Governor Ron DeSantis went on record for his support for the measure, and even demanded a bill be brought to his desk for approval before any other bill would be considered by the governor.

I also predict he won’t do that.

In the land down under, there is a lot going on, mostly led by the hard core workers.  Truck drivers started this, and I want to know if they’ve hit the roads again and if so, why?  Why aren’t truckers refusing to drive to deliver logistics to the tyrants?  John Guandolo observes:

In 1996, Australia passed significant laws which severely restricted an Australian’s ability to purchase and keep effective firearms.

Now, Stalinesque police and military personnel in Australia – some of whom openly say they disagree with the lockdowns, but are “just doing their job” reminiscent of nazi gate guards – are the oppressors ushering in an the era of slavery in Australia.

Who is behind all this?

It is worth noting the significant Chinese business ventures in Australia, and the Chinese population in Australia – almost 8% of the overall population in a nation of only 25.8 million people.

With the proximity of China, it is not a hard stretch to see Australia may be in China’s sites.

For citizens, the answer in Australia is the same it is in Europe and the United States.

Citizens must resist tyranny and defend liberty at all costs.

Yes, citizens must resist at all costs.  And yes, the Chinese control over Australia is one big reason I am opposed to sharing nuclear and defense technology with them.  But let’s get to that big point he made about the cops.

… some of whom openly say they disagree with the lockdowns, but are “just doing their job.”

That’s like saying I am an engineer and professionally opposed to designing building and bridges that will fall and kill people, and violating rules of ethics, but I’m just doing my job when management tells me to cut corners.

No, and a thousand times no.  No, no, no, no, no.  I will not listen to that, and I wish I could be there when a cop said something like that – or has ever said “I’m opposed to gun confiscations in America, but if the order comes, I’ll just do my job.”

Go ahead.  You’ve made your choice, and the decision is to do something immoral for money.  You’re no different from a whore.  If you’re a cop, listen to me.  If you would violate the second amendment for your job or retirement, you’re a whore, and a relatively cheap one at that.

It shows that not only does the person have no scruples, but the lack of scruples shows that the person does not honor the Lordship of Christ, and thus doesn’t have the savior.

As it will be with all American cops who violate their oaths, it will be for Australian cops who forcibly kidnap people or their children to be sent off to camps or forcibly jabbed.  You do not have authority over a man and woman’s child.  God has given that to the family, not the state.

You will pay for your 30 pieces of silver with your soul.  You will be in eternal torment for your choice.

News from Florida.

Republican Representative Anthony Sabatini, of District 32, is proposing to do away with some restrictions when carrying a gun in public.

The bill could also allow for open carry in the state. This is the third time Sabatini has proposed the bill. It’s been struck previously by both Republicans and Democrats.

This is a copy of the proposed legislation: House bill 103.

If passed, gun owners would not need to get a permit to carry a gun in public places. They could also carry their gun freely without concealing it.

“If they’re a law abiding citizen and this bill is passed, they can carry a firearm without having to ask for government permission,” Rep. Sabatini said. “The second part of the bill is open carry. So, you’re allowed to carry a firearm on your person, even if it’s not concealed. You can carry it on your waistband for example.”

[ … ]

“We’re not saying you can’t have a gun,” Foy said. “At least have some structure with it–where you have to get a license, you have to get a permit.”

Action News Jax reporter Meghan Moriarty also reached out to the Republican Committee Chairman Representative Cory Byrd for a statement. He previously killed Sabatini’s bill in the 2021 session. He did not return Moriarty’s call.

It’s a modest first step.  It sounds like permitted open carry, which is a halfway house.

But this has been proposed and shot down for years in Florida.

I hear all about Ron DeSantis and how he would make such a great candidate for president.

Well, let’s see his mettle.  Let’s see him threaten to veto every other bill until this one comes to his desk.  Let’s see how much he really supports the RKBA.

Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms.

Lawmakers in Stamford, Connecticut are asking for the state legislature to impose a new restriction on legal gun owners: require them to produce their gun permit upon request by police.

The move is billed by supporters as a way to get “illegal guns off the street,” but some of the representatives sitting in the town’s legislature say the measure would be unconstitutional and could lead to big problems.

“Rep. J.R. McMullen, one of the nine representatives who voted against the resolution, said he couldn’t vote in favor of a resolution that asks the state legislature to consider making a law that he claims would be unconstitutional.

“I don’t know why we’re asking the state to do something that wastes their time, when there is so much other stuff that they failed to do over the last year and half that we should get them to focus on,” McMullen said.

McMullen was joined by Gloria DePina, Bradley Michelson, Susan Nabel, Selina Policar, Robert Roqueta, Bob Lion, Dennis Mahoney and Nina Sherwood in opposing the resolution.

Nabel said the reason she couldn’t support the resolution was she felt it could be used as a backdoor for police to racially profile city residents.

“I’m still of the feeling that this is too fragile a situation, too likely to lead to profiling and possibly puts police officers and the public around them in danger,” she said.

I happen to agree with both McMullen and Nabel in their objections. This is really a non-issue, and I have no doubt taht (sic) imposing the requirement on legal gun owners will lead to a disproportionate number of minorities being stopped and questioned by police.

[ … ]

So there’ve only been six cases in the past two years where police were called to check on a person carrying a gun, and only once did a gun owner refuse to voluntarily produce their permit (Connecticut requires all legal gun owners to have a permit, which also serves as their carry permit). Because one person didn’t submit to the police’s request (and acted lawfully in doing so), Curtis wants to change state law and allow police to view anyone exercising their Second Amendment rights as a suspected criminal?

Cam’s objection has nothing to do with the constitutionality of the law.  Whether “disproportionate number of minorities being stopped and questioned by police” has to do with how the law is being implemented, not whether it can be implemented.  It’s an irrelevant objection.

This goes back to the issue of open carry in South Carolina we’ve recently discussed.  Regardless of the fact that open carriers are supposed to be permitted, South Carolina isn’t a stop and identify state.  Neither is Connecticut.

Even if there was such a statute, precedent forces LEOs to have reasonable suspicion beforehand for it to be a so-called “Terry Stop.”

This is the objection Cam should have pointed to, not whether blacks are going to be hit the hardest by this law.  The law is prima facie unconstitutional and will eventually be challenged in court.

It’s all the rage.

First, to no one’s surprise, Columbia did it.

The city of Columbia has banned openly carrying guns during events, such as festivals and parades, in the wake of a recent state law.

City officials approved a measure Sept. 7 to banning the open carry of firearms during permitted city events and from carrying a gun of any kind into city buildings or facilities without permission from the city manager or police chief.

Next up, Greenville.

The city may ban guns from being carried openly at events and by people picketing after South Carolina changed its law to allow open carry of firearms.

On the first of two readings, and without public discussion, City Council voted 7-0 to ban open carry of firearms at permitted public events like Fall for Greenville and Saturday Market or by individuals seeking to protest. It still must pass a second vote.

Ah, Fall for Greenville where all the crappy hot dog vendors get to sell their awful food.

Finally, Spartanburg has had its first reading of the same sort of statute.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – Spartanburg City Council has moved ahead on the first reading for a ban on openly carrying a gun at city-permitted events in Spartanburg.

During the first reading of the ordinance at Monday evening’s city council meeting, council members voted unanimously to prohibit the open carrying of firearms during city-permitted events on public property.

Councilwoman Erica Brown told 7 News, the ban applies to citywide-permitted events, like festivals and protests. Council is able to do this through a clause in the Open Carry with Training Act.

Brown said the vote couldn’t be timelier.

“Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would see that the City of Spartanburg has had quite a bit of gun violence as of late,” said Spartanburg City Councilwoman, Erica Brown.

Kyle Marlow is passionate about guns. He told us, especially using them safely. In fact, he calls himself a Second Amendment advocate.

“South Carolina is doing it the right way. It’s an Open Carry with Training law so they still have to go through all that training and background checks,” said Manager at T & K Outdoors, Kyle Marlow.

But with that being said, he told us he understands the intent behind the ban for protests.

“Just encourage all these people to follow all laws, whether that’s in the city, state or federal level,” Marlow told us.

In spite of his slow venture towards freedom, Kyle Marlow loves his enslavement.  Open carry with permit – still a government permission slip.  Open carry, except when we say not to.

We in N.C. don’t have much room to talk.  We’re under the same restrictions concerning permitted events.  Here’s one solution.  Don’t go to permitted events.