The Democratic Gun Control Has Started

[TnRebel]

Dear friends,
Take a moment and read this, it's not NRA . It's from the democratic party web site!

This is their plan for Pennsylvania, I don't think they will stop there. Do you?


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Democratic Law Makers Rally for Gun Control
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Democratic state legislators went into one of the most conservative counties in the Pennsylvania and announced plans to submit a package of bills on gun control during a day-long special session of the House on crime near the end of the month. The state issues about 1 million hunting licenses each year. As a result, gun control legislation has been hard to pass because most legislators represent the rural areas of the state where there is a high rate of gun owners and sportsmen.


Legislative proposals would include limits on the sale of handguns to one per month; a ban on military-style assault weapons statewide; additional funding for police and police equipment; and a requirement that gun owners report a lost or stolen firearms within 24 hours.
Democrats are pushing the legislation forward as a result of new polling data showing that suburban residents have a concern with gun violence. The poll shows that 80 percent of rural voters said they support a statewide limit on handgun purchases to one gun a month. Nearly 75 percent of the Republican voters surveyed supported the one-gun-a-month limit as well. The group of Democrats were led by State Representative Dwight Evans of Philadelphia.

There have been more than 260 homicides in Philadelphia this year, and more than 1,200 shooting victims, Evans said. More than 80 percent of the city's homicides were committed with guns, according to statistics on the city's Web site.
With momentum for gun control at a high level, this may be the best shot Democrats have to establishing gun control in the state. Some critics say this legislation may not be the best option, but Democrats understand that reform takes time and are trying to fix the problem instead of just recognizing that there is one.[

 

[Deer Hunter]

Legislative proposals would include limits on the sale of handguns to one per month; a ban on military-style assault weapons statewide; additional funding for police and police equipment

Why is it that when they take the guns away from the civilians, the police stock up? Isn't that a bit contradictory?

 

[Cosmoline]

At the federal level there may be talk, but it will be quashed quickly. The Dems are looking to keep the blue dogs in house at least until '08. What we are likely to see is attacks on gun rights in states such as NH, Penn and other "border" states.

 

[txcoyote]

Well now that gun control has been shown to work so effectively in reducing violent crime via the model gun control program in the District of Columbia, why shouldn't we expect the newly elected majority to act responsibly to propogate that model? I mean, after all, they were elected to effect change.

 

[Cosmoline]

Re "change," see my sig.

 

[Silver Bullet]

Oh, boy ! "Gridlock" !

 

[Lone_Gunman]

The usual Republican lap dogs will be up in arms, no doubt, whenever a Democrat mentions gun control.mmBut remember, until a law is passed, its just a bunch of talk. You should expect the Democrats to propose gun laws, but i seriously doubt any of these will pass. Keep your money flowing to NRA, keep writing your Senators and Congressmen, and I seriously doubt they will be successful.

Republicans talk a lot about banning abortion, too. It appeals to their base, just like gun control appeals to the Democratic base. Despite all the Republican talk about abortion, and 6 years of complete government control, abortion is still legal. The Democrats have to at least talk about gun control to keep their base happy, just like Republicans have to talk about gay marriage and abortion.

 

[Silver Bullet]

Keep your money flowing to NRA, keep writing your Senators and Congressmen,

This part is correct.

 

[mountainclmbr]

When they disarm law abiding civilians the civilians become dependent on government for protection.

When they release violent crimminals back onto the street the public becomes even more dependent on government for protection.

The socialist Democrats will be trying to control health care and income too. Controlling your safety, your health and your money equals total control. Just watch.

 

[nico]

At the federal level there may be talk, but it will be quashed quickly.

While I agree with this point, but I don't think those of you in "free" states are seeing the whole picture. The general sentiment seems to be "I don't care what happens in [insert state], there will never be a fed AWB (or other gun control law) so I don't have to worry about it."

That's all well and good, but what happens when you have a majority of states with AWBs? I might be paranoid, but I can think of a few possibilities: the market for guns like AR15s and their accessories will be drastically reduced because most people can't even buy them (who's gonna make 15 round mags when they can only be sold in a few states?) and prices of the guns/parts/accessories that are available will go up.
Also, as fewer and fewer people can buy ARs, there will be less resistance on the federal level for an AWB. I can only speak for myself (although I know there are others in my state who feel this way), but with the way Jennifer Palmer and the NRA have acted against the Second Amendment in Maryland, I'm having very conflicting feelings between supporting them despite their lack of support for me, and telling them to go to hell.

Why should I care about a federal AWB when I'm already stuck with a CA-style AWB with no way to get rid of it? Because it would hurt someone in Texas? Where were they when the AWB affecting my state was passed without any major opposition?

The gun grabbers have learned from their past mistakes and are using a divide and conquer strategy. I don't know about other states, but MD sure as hell is divided and they're about to conquer:banghead:

 

[Jim K]

An interesting question is whether gun control proponents may promote their laws by mass murder. It is surprising how often the same scenario plays out:

1. A gun control/ban bill is introduced, but is stalled.
2. A "lone gunman" kills a number of people using the type of gun that would be banned. He is often described as "dazed" or "drugged" and with a "fixed smile."
3. The gunman commits suicide before he can be questioned.
4. Anti-gun newspapers and TV have stories ready to go before the shooting stops (or before it started?).
5. The gun control bill passes.
6. Back to 1.

Jim

 

[The Guy]

Uh, gee, that sounds like a book I read somewhere...

 

[Number 6]

You do realize that this blog entry was posted back in September, and is not exactly breaking news. Here is the link to the actual posting.

http://Democrats.org/a/2006/09/democratic_law_1.php?comments=1

 

[Mr White]

Actually, this 'Committee of the Whole" as it was called, came and went w/o much being accomplished. The Dems in the State Legislature proposed a bunch of bills dealing with crime, guns, and violence in general. The gun control measures were soundly shut down.

Here in PA, the state legilature is republican-controlled, but on top of that, there are a lot of moderate, common-sense dems as well. Its only the far-left radicals from Philly and to a lesser extent, Pittsburgh, who push for this stuff, and they never get far with it.

I keep a pretty close eye on this stuff and it didn't really have me worried at all.

 

[Saiga39]

From the LA Times:

Liberal groups expect postelection results
Activists who helped Democrats secure Congress make clear they intend to get their reward.

"At the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the leading gun-control advocacy group, President Paul Helmke has high hopes for the assault weapons ban — and he can list races where candidates backed by his group defeated those supported by the National Rifle Assn.

But Helmke, a former Republican mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., acknowledged that his challenge was to convince Democrats that his cause was not "radioactive." Many Democratic strategists have come to believe that supporting gun-control laws alienates rural voters and many independents.

"Guns are a tricky issue," Helmke said. "But the elections show there's nothing to be afraid of."

Looks like I'm getting that SKS I've always wanted.

 

[callgood]

I have been planning on eventually buying a Bushmaster DCM A2, but I think I will buy a lower receiver and parts to complete, and purchase more spare parts for my Varmint Special. I'm no mag whore, so some more 20 rounders are in order. I'll put a hold on the DCM upper until I see how bad the gov rapes me on taxes this year.

eta: nico makes a very valid point. The errosion of freedom in one state doesn't stop at the border. And the, "oh, that's ok, it's over in Maryland" attitude is like someone with gangrene in his little toe saying, "Well, the other four are ok." We're all in this together, not planets in their seperate orbits.

 

[Maui19]

At the federal level there may be talk, but it will be quashed quickly. The Dems are looking to keep the blue dogs in house at least until '08. What we are likely to see is attacks on gun rights in states such as NH, Penn and other "border" states.

Trust me, the gun laws in NH are not going to be changing any time soon. Even many Dems are pro-gun up here.

 

[thexrayboy]

The usual Republican lap dogs will be up in arms, no doubt, whenever a Democrat mentions gun control.mm But remember, until a law is passed, its just a bunch of talk. You should expect the Democrats to propose gun laws, but i seriously doubt any of these will pass.

All laws are just a bunch of talk till they get passed. The fact that they talk about gun control is proof positive they want it. If they didn't want they would not propose it. The "usual Republican lap dogs" are correct for being up in arms. They know as any rational person knows that the Dems will "never give up, never surrender" in their dream of an unarmed populace they can rule.

Anyone who believes that the Democratic party in it's current reincarnation
will ever stop hating gun owners and our willingness to excercise our right
to bear arms is living in a fantasy world.

 

[Fletchette]

What we need to do is try really, really hard to get a Republican House, Senate and Presidency one day. Then we can actually repeal gun control like the Brady Law...oh, wait

I will never forgive the Neocon bastards for failing to do anything for us when they had years of complete control.

 

[fantacmet]

Never ceases to amaze me the extreme stupidity that seems forever validated by our politicians.

Elected officials MY ASS!

Rev. Michael

 

[MachIVshooter]

the market for guns like AR15s and their accessories will be drastically reduced because most people can't even buy them (who's gonna make 15 round mags when they can only be sold in a few states?)

I would guess the same companies that did from '94-'04, when they oculdn't be sold to civilians in any state. That'd be all of 'em

The '94 ban did sink a couple of small companies that hinged their entire market on items that were banned, though (Calico LWS, Intratec, etc.).

I will never forgive the Neocon bastards for failing to do anything for us when they had years of complete control

Amen.

Instead, they focused on non-legislatable moral issues, issues on which most American's attitudes ranged from barely concerned to completely ambiguous.

 

[Sharps-shooter]

my sincere expectation is that Democrats will do about as much regarding gun control as replublicants have done regarding abortion-- essentially, Jack ****. These are donkey and carrot issues, constantly held out before each party's respective base. If the donkey ever actually reaches the carrot, the donkey stops walking. So you have to keep moving the carrot, keep it out of reach, so that the donkey keeps moving. Once in a while, you might have to do something like a ten year ban on certain cosmetic features of select guns. but only temporarily, and only once every generation or so.

Just in case I'm wrong though, I'm going to invest a small fortune in "tough-looking" arms and overkill-errific ammo, while I still can.

 

[tellner]

The Far Right had the Presidency for six years and the Legislature for twelve. What did they do for gun owners? The thin end of nothing whittled down to a point.

Face it. The Republican Party does not love you. It counts on you to fall into line like good little sheep to give up votes, blood and treasure on command. The most it's willing to do in return is allow an klunky unpopular law to expire. Even then The Decider says he would have been glad to sign it if it came across his desk.

The Democrats may not be your friends. But at least they're upfront and honest about it and care about a few civil liberties. The Republicans pay a little lip service to gun owners and have trashed every single we have going back to the Magna Carta.

 

[antsi]

Lone Gunman, you seem to have a very relaxed attitude toward proposals for gun control legislation. I don't expect the Democrats to outlaw guns completely within the near future, but they certainly can whittle away at the RKBA one chip at a time. Just as abortion rights activists need not fear a complete ban on abortion in the near term, they recognize, and rightfully so, that long-term Republican control of congress is detrimental to their objectives. Likewise, individuals who are concerned about gun rights should not take the threat of gun control legislation lightly or take lightly the fact that the Democrat party has policy of supporting gun control.

It is true that these kind of laws are frequently proposed and they are rarely passed. However, a shift of public opinion such as can be caused by a high profile shooting plus a shift in legislative control can create the kind of conditions where these kind of laws can get passed. Once passed, they are extremely difficult to reverse.

I moved from Illinois last year to Indiana. In Illinois, there were highly restrictive "assault weapon bans" proposed every year - much worse than the now defunct federal version. Every year I was in Illinois, they would get defeated by just a couple of votes. I suppose it would be easy to say "these kind of things get proposed all the time and they never get passed," but I'm not comfortable with people taking pot shots at my gun rights. Sooner or later these clowns are liable to score a hit. They don't have to be successful 100% of the time to alarm me. If they are only successful 1% of the time, then the law is in place and there's very little chance of getting it reversed.

Now that I live in Indiana, these threats seem remote; almost laughable. Still, the memory of being a gun owner minority in an overwhelmingly hostile political climate reminds me that major political forces are against us and the threat is real. I wonder sometimes if your perspective from a relatively gun-friendly state makes you discount the seriousness of the threat we face. Maybe you should spend some time in Chicago, San Francisco, or New Jersey and then see if you still shrug off these threats so easily.

 

[Waitone]

The Far Right had the Presidency for six years and the Legislature for twelve.

<Snicker>This president's modus operandi was to make himself indistinguishable from the other party. The term is "Pulling their Teeth". Bush removed issue after issue from Democrats until they had nothing to run on. Worked like a champ until his party got arrogant. Bush is not "Far Right".