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Editor's Notebook: Staying on Offense
In the past few months, we've seen interesting moves on the gun rights front. We've seen an anti-gun Congress and White House pass and sign a bill that included provisions allowing permit holders concealed carry in national parks. We've seen cases filed in accordance with Heller to get bans overturned in places like Chicago and to assure "incorporation" of the 2nd Amendment (a natural right) to the states.
When tripe like General McCaffrey's silly Mexico drug cartels and U.S. guns report surface, we act quickly across several fronts to destroy the offensive. But mostly we've seen gun rights people move the ball in addition to defending against assaults on the 2nd Amendment.
Montana and Tennessee moved to cut the Interstate Commerce argument from gun control schemes entirely. In those states, legislatures passed state laws making it legal for guns made in-state, meant to stay in-state and not allowed to go out-of-state to avoid federal restrictions and ATF oversight. Something had to be done to stop this. After some reflection, ATF announced that federal law "trumps" state law - we're playing cards here? - and those two states passed invalid statutes.
I wonder if a court challenge follows? Hmmm.
Now, Senator Thune advanced an amendment to a defense authorization bill that would allow interstate concealed carry for permit holders - in a sense, similar to having a state driver's license. You're okay in your state to drive, you're okay here.
While there were enough votes to "approve" the amendment - 58 to 39 - it lacked the 60 votes needed for passage. While this seems a setback to some, lacking only two votes in a partisan Congress is some measure of power. Add to this the letter from states' attorneys general to the USAG against a ban on semi-auto firearms and an amicus brief in support of incorporation of the 2nd Amendment and you have a considerable amount of movement.
The lesson is this: stay on offense. For too many years, the other side has had a dominant position because they stayed on offense. They used their willing media stooges to convince people that "guns are evil." Josef Goebbels, is that you?
They pressed the lie. Pressing the truth works the same way. The advantage is that the truth rings true to people with common sense. It's not big media's day anymore either. Print is dying, rapidly running out of Time(s). The big lie is easily pointed out by non-traditional media outlets that have huge audiences - the various conservative pundits and a cable news outlet.
Let's take for example the gun expert/chief of police for Jersey City NJ. After a shootout went badly for all involved, including killing an officer, Police Chief Thomas Comey railed against the firearm involved in the tragedy. He said the offender had a prior weapons conviction and had no trouble getting the gun. Reports indicate that the shotgun had been stolen. I guess the laws against theft and burglary made the gun illegal and, more than idiot gun control laws, assisted the offender in getting the gun.
Then, Chief Comey noted that the firearm was "manufactured for nothing other than to hunt man." What weapon of mass destruction was this?
A pump shotgun, not unlike the one at home that you use every year to hunt various fowl. It's similar to the guns in the racks of most patrol cars in the US - so, I guess the cops are just out to "hunt man?"
No, the chief said, "This is not a normal shotgun, this is not a street weapon, this is one meant to hunt nothing other than men . . ." Really? Reports say it was a Mossberg 500 pump - a normal shotgun. A news report made the observation that this gun could hold seven rounds in the magazine. With one in the chamber, total capacity of 8, the report said, "rather than the customary two."
Who has that customary two-shot pump? A trap gun perhaps?
The chief, though speaking crookedly, gets a pass. He had 5 people down that day, one has since lost his life. This is no cause for cheering or celebration. Blaming the instrument the offender used for the offender's actions is likewise tragic. It's a political play at best, hysteria at worst.
The offender was a convicted felon. Laws are in place to deal with that. Laws restricting us from gun possession won't take the offender's actions back. It won't bring Officer Marc Dinardo back and won't take the pain and suffering away from the others hurt due to the criminal actions of July 16.
It's not about gun control chief.
Want to do something positive? Fight to get your guys training time. Get them tactical training - this isn't ninja stuff, but stuff Frank McGee taught decades ago at the PD across the Hudson; it's the stuff that came up in the aftermath of Newhall CA of 1970. Let your guys and gals never forget Marc Dinardo - name the training program after him.
Get them prepared for the battle that may never come.
Or that may come.