After Tacoma shooting: Mayor Nickels wants state AWB plus more!

[Cesiumsponge]

After seeing the shooting in Tacoma, Seattle's useless mayor Greg Nickels has crawled out from under his log to make a statement.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is asking the state Legislature to adopt a series of gun control bills he hopes will "reduce the violence."

The proposals include a ban on assault weapons as well as state monitoring of gun dealers to see if there is any relationship between individual sellers and later use of guns in criminal activity. The proposals would also require background checks on persons buying guns at gun shows.

The mayor said there were 31 gun-related killings in Seattle in 2006. He made the announcement on the same day a student died of gunshot wounds in a Tacoma high school.

"You ought to have an expectation that when your child leaves for school in the morning they are going to come back home that evening safe and sound," he said. "And we can't guarantee that any more."

The State School Superintendent publishes yearly totals of reported weapon incidents. Here are the statistics that worry the mayor: The statewide numbers for the 2005-2006 school year reveal there were 30 incidents involving handguns, and 11 others involved rifles.

The handgun incidents included four in Seattle, three in Franklin Pierce, two in Highline and one each in Tacoma and Lake Washington. "It takes only a moment to take a life with a gun; we cannot waste another moment," Nickels said.

The mayor and Seattle's police chief referred to the call for mandatory trigger or gun locks as common sense.

But long time gun collector and advocate "Doc" Carlson says the problem is the enforcement of the laws, not the gun laws themselves.

"Oh, Greg, Greg, Greg, Greg," he said of the mayor. "What's a common sense gun law?"

Carlson said many accused felons see crimes reduced to misdemeanors and are released on personal recognizance, still able to legally buy a gun.

Under present federal law, a person buying a new pistol or revolver gets a factory supplied gun lock. If you purchase a used gun from a registered dealer, the dealer provides a lock.

Gun dealers say the problem comes when laws tried to mandate use of the gun laws.

"How are they going to enforce that? I'd love to find out," Carlson said. "Are they are going to walk in at two in the morning and say we need to see where your guns are and see if they are locked up. How are they going to enforce that?"

Gun supporters traditionally have had the votes in Olympia to block gun control laws. This year, Mayor Nickels believes he may have the votes.

The Washington State Constitution provides for the right to keep and bear arms in even stronger language that the U.S. Constitution. "But neither state law nor the Constitution outlaws common sense," Nickels said.

I don't think he is popular for a variety of moves as is and he is only a mayor, but the fact he wants to start pushing a campaign means pro-gun Washingtonians should probably stay alert. Again assault weapons are to be targeted first since they comprise of a relatively small slice of gun owners and he hopes for little opposition.

Its also statistically ridiculous to claim meaninful data between someone selling a legal product through legal means and legal channels (form 4473, NICS, waiting periods if applicable, etc) and someone abusing said product. If such a line of thought was applied to anything else (relationship between fertilizer sold and fertilizer bombers, cars sold and drunk drivers), people would scoff. Likewise, that doesn't even take into account if the firearm is later sold through private parties, stolen, etc. I don't think anyone is going to be falling for this one but he is trying mighty hard to play the fright card.

Muder is illegal, and so is possession of unlawfully owned firearms, but I guess we need to pass more laws against murder and firearms.

Original article here: http://www.komotv.com/news/5079031.html

 

[Zero_DgZ]

"Assault weapons." You have to love it. Even though witnesses account for only three shots fired.

Oops, there goes the theory about criminals spraying high capacity magazines all over the place. Looks like homeboy actually aimed.

 

[Cliff47]

Doc Carlson knows of what he speaks, and is right on target with his comments. We don't need more laws, we need the laws that are on the books enforced. If the laws are not going to be enforced, then repeal them.

Mayor Nickels, on the other hand, displays that unique medical condition of recto-cranial inversion. He is reciting the gun-grabber mantra, as does Mayor Bloomberg of NYC, in the hope that by sheer repetition that it will become fact.

Chief Kerlikowski still has not had his department-issue Glock that was stolen from his car two years ago (check me on that) located, returned, or worse, been used in a reported crime. Should Mayor Nickels make a sharp right (or left) turn, the Chief may suffer a broken neck.

 

[longeyes]

Tacoma has a gang problem. They might want to start there when they start talking about violence statistics.

 

[razorburn]

There's no indication it was a gang related shooting.

 

[George S.]

It's interesting that the Mayor didn't comment about underage kids possessing handguns. Or the fact that it's against the law in WA to have a gun at school.

And it's hard to guarantee that kids will come home from school everyday safe and sound. We seem to have problems in WA with drunk drivers that get arrested as many as 9 TIMES and still are driving around. A car with a drunk behind the wheel will kill just as quickly as a gun will.

Then there are the sexual predators that the state releases back into the population and for whatever reason, can find a way to live near schools. Then there are the drug dealers that sell drugs to kids.

I recall reading that kids today are more inclined to use alcohol than ever before; something like 25% of all high school-aged kids drink and a good percentage of those could be described as being heavy drinkers or otherwise have problems with excessive alcohol use.

But the Mayor (and the Legislature) doesn't seem to want to focus on those problems. Probably not the kind of stuff that plays on TV like school shootings.

 

[Cliff47]

The shooting was of a 'personal' nature. No gang affiliation has been established. The victim was Cambodian, not sure of the perpetrator of the crime (definitely from SE Asia by the name).

The problem is with criminals (who, by definition, disregard the laws of our communities/nation), not the law-abiding citizen. The problem is that the WRONG person got access to a firearm, and vented his rage. I would be looking at the source of the firearm (who is the legal/responsible owner), and how did the shooter come to acquire the weapon?

Many questions, none of which will get an answer in the light of day.

In the mean time, the victim leaves a 2-year-old wanting to know 'Where Papa?' How can you answer that question so that they understand?

 

[DKSuddeth]

The Washington State Constitution provides for the right to keep and bear arms in even stronger language that the U.S. Constitution. "But neither state law nor the Constitution outlaws common sense," Nickels said.

translation - your rights mean squat if a majority decide that you shouldn't have it anymore.

 

[crazed_ss]

"You ought to have an expectation that when your child leaves for school in the morning they are going to come back home that evening safe and sound," he said. "And we can't guarantee that any more."

When is anything in life guaranteed?

 

[Manedwolf]

" After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it."

-William S. Burroughs

Shooting with was a pistol, so he wants to ban "assault weapons".

 

[forrestd]

There's no indication it was a gang related shooting.

Except for the fact that it happened in Tacoma.

 

[ChiefThunderstick]

Smoke up our butts

-----.

 

[Unisaw]

Nickels announced the press conference prior to this latest incident. His desire to limit the rights of the law-abiding goes back much farther. Of course, he never explains how his proposals would have prevented any of the incidents that have occurred.

 

[longeyes]

There's no indication it was a gang related shooting.

Okay, let's call it "tribal" and split the difference.

The Federal Government--and at least two Presidents--are directly responsible for the policies that are roiling our cities. In the end they will expect The Rest of Us to give up our Constitutional rights to remedy THEIR screw-ups.

 

[Diamondback6]

Manedwolf, ya gotta remember, Nickelanddime was one of the jokers up here that wanted to ban the 1911 as an assault weapon...

 

[44Brent]

This type of incident shows the folly of gun rights advocates who refuse to push the ball forward and wait until the time is "right" to introduce bills. When you insist on playing defense, you are going to end up playing defense.

Gun rights groups need to be playing OFFENSE AT ALL TIMES, and there are plenty of issues on which Washington gun rights groups should be playing offense. For starters, there are:

1. Elimination of victim endangerment zones in schools.
2. Elimination of the 3 day waiting period (or is it 5?) for purchasing a handgun.
3. Elimination of the requirement to have a concealed pistol permit to carry a loaded pistol in a car.
4. Ending the ban on Class II weapons.

When you are playing offense, you force the other side to play defense. But since, we aren't playing offense in Washington, the other side is going to force us to block a bunch of gun bans.

 

[razorburn]

Okay, let's call it "tribal" and split the difference.

The Federal Government--and at least two Presidents--are directly responsible for the policies that are roiling our cities. In the end they will expect The Rest of Us to give up our Constitutional rights to remedy THEIR screw-ups.

You mean because the shooter and the victim were both Cambodian? If so, is it "tribal" when Mr. Smith shoots Mr. Johnson? Lets not jump to conclusions until some sort of development occurs to make us think otherwise. People tend to befriend with people of similar backgrounds and develop personal relationships with them. Everything released goes to indicate this was a shooting over personal reasons.

I watched the mayor on T.V making anti-gun declarations. He said we don't know for certain that more gun control laws would've stopped the shooting, but we do know for certain that less guns on the street equals less crime and some such gibberish. It was 5 day waiting in WA when I bought my handgun before I had a CCW.

 

[Langenator]

The suspected shooter is 18, so if he did the deed with a pistol, he already broke one law (not one I agree with, but one on the books) in addition to the relatively minor fact that murder is also illegal.

Actually, I don't think any of the high profile shootings in WA since the end of the last legislative session (the Tacoma mall shooting was prior to the last one) have involved either 'assault weapons' (the Capitol Hill shooter used a pump shotgun) or guns bought at a gunshow-although they haven't yet said where this mutant got his gun.

So they're just using the blood to advance their agenda.

Also note that none of these folks-Nickels, King Co Exec Ron Sims, or CeaseFire WA-are advocating anything like FL 10/20/Life law. Probably because it would put too many of the GFW pols' constituents in prison for a lot more time.

 

[TallPine]

I think they need to put up more strongly worded signs on the doors of the schools

Like:

No Weapons
We really mean it this time!

 

[razorburn]

A lot of claims there. Sources?

 

[Prince Yamato]

I think what's really needed is not an AWB but an AR-15 literacy campaign. Many Ar-15s are unable to read and as a result suffer frustration from being unable to read the "no firearms" signs posted on school property. Upset when confronted, they often go off and get firery. Of course some of this problem lies with the AR-15's parents and the fact that many are assembled from so many different uppers and lowers- but we mustn't discriminate against rifles of this stock. For we too would fold and collapse if we suffered such illilteracy. In short, reach out to one of these poor rifles and take one under your arm, and give them the gift of literacy.

 

[Soybomb]

Hopefully a few of our local residents will write some quality letters to the editor. The guy they've quoted from the pro-gun side is somewhat less than eloquent.

There's no indication it was a gang related shooting.

While that has yet to be determined, it certainly doesn't look like this was random. From the little bit I've read about the school, the victim, and the style his was killed it certainly isn't a stretch to imagine its related to other criminal activity.

 

[razorburn]

No, it certainly wasn't random. He wasn't shooting into a crowd. He deliberately picked that person to shoot. But that doesn't mean it was gang related. Personal reasons, the guy got his girlfriend pregnant, whatever. The chief of police has specifically gone issued a statement that it does not appear to be gang related. You guys sure love to jump on the gang- affiliation bandwagon, for some reason.

during the interviews, the chief told reporters gathered at police headquarters. "I know they were acquaintances. It does not appear to be a gang-related incident. It does not appear to be a random act of violence."

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/16377321.htm

 

[dave_pro2a]

Several of his peers, being interviewed on TV, stated that the perp "had lived the gang lifestyle."

Tacoma is notorious for having a gang problem. Foss HS, it appears, has a large number of low income students from disadvantaged families.

Not the best scenerio over all. Gang related is not a stretch in any way.

How the police already "know" it's not gang related I have no idea. Probably just CYA crap.

 

[longeyes]

No, it certainly wasn't random. He wasn't shooting into a crowd. He deliberately picked that person to shoot. But that doesn't mean it was gang related. Personal reasons, the guy got his girlfriend pregnant, whatever. The chief of police has specifically gone issued a statement that it does not appear to be gang related. You guys sure love to jump on the gang- affiliation bandwagon, for some reason.

There's more to "gangsta" behavior than drive-bys. Gang behavior is just another form of tribalism, and tribalism is gradually becoming the way of life in America--in case you hadn't noticed. Add tribalism to social services and you have socialsim in full flower, which is what "they" want for us.

Most of the crime in America today can be traced to gangs, in large part minorities. You can thank the Feds for creating much of this problem over the last two generations.