bearingarms--2020-11-17--GA Senate Candidate Blasted Second Amendment In Sermons

Rev .
Raphael Warnock is spending a lot of time on Georgia televisions right now trying to pretend he ’ s a moderate .
I know , I ’ m one of those unfortunate souls who is being subjected to two more months of the campaign season , which means I “ get ” to see Warnocks claims .
His response to Sen. Kelly Loeffler ’ s criticism is to resort to motte and bailey style arguments and do his damnedest to reframe himself not as a radical leftist , but as a moderate that can appeal to Georgia voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not , and his past with the Second Amendment is all the evidence you need .
Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock has criticized the second amendment multiple times in his sermons , something that has caused gun owners in the state to worry about the upcoming runoff election in January .
Warnock , who is running against Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , has openly voiced his concern with guns in multiple videos reviewed by the Daily Caller and has said he believes Georgia needs stricter gun laws .
Warnock also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups who support a ban on assault weapons .
Gun groups in Georgia , who work to defend gun rights , shared their concerns with Warnock ’ s stance on the second amendment when contacted by the Caller .
In a 2014 sermon , Warnock criticized politicians who attend church on Sundays and then write “ the dumbest ” gun legislation “ you can ever imagine.
” “ And that ’ s why you ’ ve got politicians who go to church every Sunday morning , and then walk into that capitol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come up with the dumbest legislation you can ever imagine .
‘ What we need is more guns , in more places , by more people.
’ Think about all the crazy people you bump into just on the routine , every week .
On your job , on the street , some of them in church – don ’ t look at ‘ em .
Imagine all them people with guns , ” Warnock said in the sermon .
During another 2014 sermon , Warnock labeled Georgia ’ s gun laws as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in the country .
“ Just yesterday I testified before the State Legislators at the Georgia capital .
Georgia has some of the most lax gun laws in the country .
Georgia ’ s idea of gun control is whether you can hold your rifle straight .
With all of the lax gun laws in Georgia , they ’ ve decided that they aren ’ t lax enough .
We ’ ve got the fifth-highest population of uninsured individuals , and with all of the issues , we ’ re almost last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figured out how to provide healthcare to all of these uninsured people , Governor will not expand Medicaid , and in the midst of all that ’ s going on I had to go to the capital yesterday because they ’ ve decided that what we really need is more guns , and more access to guns by more people in more places… , ” Warnock said .
Since many of his commercials repeat his feelings on uninsured people , it ’ s safe to say that there ’ s little reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter has budged .
Yet here ’ s a key point the good reverend is missing .
The Second Amendment provides people the right to keep and bear arms and Georgia has spent years trying to undo a racist history of gun control in order to support that right , but that right doesn ’ t cost the state a damn thing .
People buy their own guns , their own ammo , and support themselves with regard to the Second Amendment .
Warnock ’ s answer for insurance , as noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand a government program–Medicaid–that cost the taxpayers millions every year and provides pretty low-quality healthcare , all things considered .
He lashes out about education but , again , expanding gun rights doesn ’ t cost the state millions it simply doesn ’ t have .
At the end of the day , Warnock doesn ’ t believe Georgians have a right to keep and bear arms .
He thinks many , if not most of us , are too “ crazy ” to own a gun .
If he ’ s in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man will stand with Sen. Chuck Schumer and help “ remake America , ” which will mean an unhealthy dose of gun control from Uncle Sam .

Rev. Raphael Warnock is spending a lot of time on Georgia televisions right now trying to pretend he’s a moderate. I know, I’m one of those unfortunate souls who is being subjected to two more months of the campaign season, which means I “get” to see Warnocks claims. His response to Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s criticism is to resort to motte and bailey style arguments and do his damnedest to reframe himself not as a radical leftist, but as a moderate that can appeal to Georgia voters.
The thing is, he’s not, and his past with the Second Amendment is all the evidence you need.
Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Raphael Warnock has criticized the second amendment multiple times in his sermons, something that has caused gun owners in the state to worry about the upcoming runoff election in January. Warnock, who is running against Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has openly voiced his concern with guns in multiple videos reviewed by the Daily Caller and has said he believes Georgia needs stricter gun laws. Warnock also has been supported by a number of groups who support a ban on assault weapons. Gun groups in Georgia, who work to defend gun rights, shared their concerns with Warnock’s stance on the second amendment when contacted by the Caller. In a 2014 sermon, Warnock criticized politicians who attend church on Sundays and then write “the dumbest” gun legislation “you can ever imagine.” “And that’s why you’ve got politicians who go to church every Sunday morning, and then walk into that capitol, stand under that gold dome, and come up with the dumbest legislation you can ever imagine. ‘What we need is more guns, in more places, by more people.’ Think about all the crazy people you bump into just on the routine, every week. On your job, on the street, some of them in church – don’t look at ‘em. Imagine all them people with guns,” Warnock said in the sermon. During another 2014 sermon, Warnock labeled Georgia’s gun laws as being “some of the most lax” in the country. “Just yesterday I testified before the State Legislators at the Georgia capital. Georgia has some of the most lax gun laws in the country. Georgia’s idea of gun control is whether you can hold your rifle straight. With all of the lax gun laws in Georgia, they’ve decided that they aren’t lax enough. We’ve got the fifth-highest population of uninsured individuals, and with all of the issues, we’re almost last in education, we haven’t figured out how to provide healthcare to all of these uninsured people, Governor will not expand Medicaid, and in the midst of all that’s going on I had to go to the capital yesterday because they’ve decided that what we really need is more guns, and more access to guns by more people in more places…,” Warnock said.
Since many of his commercials repeat his feelings on uninsured people, it’s safe to say that there’s little reason to believe that Warnock’s opinion on the matter has budged.
Yet here’s a key point the good reverend is missing. The Second Amendment provides people the right to keep and bear arms and Georgia has spent years trying to undo a racist history of gun control in order to support that right, but that right doesn’t cost the state a damn thing. People buy their own guns, their own ammo, and support themselves with regard to the Second Amendment.
Warnock’s answer for insurance, as noted in the above quote, is to expand a government program–Medicaid–that cost the taxpayers millions every year and provides pretty low-quality healthcare, all things considered.
He lashes out about education but, again, expanding gun rights doesn’t cost the state millions it simply doesn’t have.
At the end of the day, Warnock doesn’t believe Georgians have a right to keep and bear arms. He thinks many, if not most of us, are too “crazy” to own a gun. If he’s in the Senate, it seems clear that the man will stand with Sen. Chuck Schumer and help “remake America,” which will mean an unhealthy dose of gun control from Uncle Sam.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Two SC Teens Found With Handguns After Police Chase

If gun control is going to accomplish much of anything , then maybe it should start by trying to keep underage people from obtaining firearms without their parents ’ knowledge .
I mean , that seems like a simple matter that would be right in line with what gun control advocates believe , right ?
Hell , many people who consider themselves to be pro-gun aren ’ t fans of kids getting guns , either , so there wouldn ’ t be nearly the pushback on efforts like this as there are elsewhere .
To be fair , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handguns , where you ’ re required to be 21 to purchase them .
Yet , like most other gun control you care to name , those laws are less than meaningless when a kid is also a criminal .
Now , this was in South Carolina , which isn ’ t exactly an anti-gun state , but the law is clear .
Kids this age can ’ t legally own firearms .
Then again , they didn ’ t .
The obliterated serial numbers tell us plenty about the firearms .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law-abiding citizens and then funneled onto the black market .
Those dealers don ’ t give a damn how old you are .
If you ’ ve got the cash , they ’ ve got a gun for you and will be happy to sell them .
Yet anti-gunners routinely claim that gun control works , that we can keep guns out of the hands of criminals , but they can ’ t even keep them out of the hands of children .
They were never going to , either .
Kids like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They ’ re criminals .
If they ’ ll steal a car , they ’ re likely to commit other crimes too .
There ’ s little reason to believe that these two weren ’ t engaged in all kinds of stuff .
None of that really matters , though , because now they ’ ve been caught .
They ’ re going to court and will probably be punished , as they should be .
If gun control is going to work , it should have worked with these two .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun control simply doesn ’ t work .
It ’ s little more than feel-good legislation that allows people to pat themselves on the back for addressing an issue without them having to actually address the damn issue .
These kids being armed is a problem , but the real issue is that kids this age are engaging in criminal activity in the first place .
Do you think anyone at Moms Demand Action or Giffords is working to address that ?
Do you think they actually even give a damn ?
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an excuse to demand more gun control , not a symptom of their many failures , and that ’ s the real issue .

If gun control is going to accomplish much of anything, then maybe it should start by trying to keep underage people from obtaining firearms without their parents’ knowledge. I mean, that seems like a simple matter that would be right in line with what gun control advocates believe, right? Hell, many people who consider themselves to be pro-gun aren’t fans of kids getting guns, either, so there wouldn’t be nearly the pushback on efforts like this as there are elsewhere.
To be fair, there are laws against kids buying guns. Especially handguns, where you’re required to be 21 to purchase them.
Yet, like most other gun control you care to name, those laws are less than meaningless when a kid is also a criminal.
Investigators have arrested two teenagers after a stolen car crashed into the stairs of the Charleston post office following a chase which led to the discovery of two guns Tuesday morning. The suspects have been identified as 16-year-old and 17-year-old boys who have both been charged with unlawful carry of a handgun, possession of a handgun under the age of 18 and possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number, according to Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis. The 16-year-old was also charged with failure to stop for blue lights, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and larceny under $2,000.
Now, this was in South Carolina, which isn’t exactly an anti-gun state, but the law is clear. Kids this age can’t legally own firearms.
Then again, they didn’t.
The obliterated serial numbers tell us plenty about the firearms. These were stolen guns, firearms taken from law-abiding citizens and then funneled onto the black market. Those dealers don’t give a damn how old you are. If you’ve got the cash, they’ve got a gun for you and will be happy to sell them.
Yet anti-gunners routinely claim that gun control works, that we can keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but they can’t even keep them out of the hands of children.
They were never going to, either.
Kids like this aren’t just kids. They’re criminals. If they’ll steal a car, they’re likely to commit other crimes too. There’s little reason to believe that these two weren’t engaged in all kinds of stuff. None of that really matters, though, because now they’ve been caught. They’re going to court and will probably be punished, as they should be.
If gun control is going to work, it should have worked with these two. It didn’t, though, because gun control simply doesn’t work. It’s little more than feel-good legislation that allows people to pat themselves on the back for addressing an issue without them having to actually address the damn issue. These kids being armed is a problem, but the real issue is that kids this age are engaging in criminal activity in the first place.
Do you think anyone at Moms Demand Action or Giffords is working to address that? Do you think they actually even give a damn?
Of course not. For them, this is an excuse to demand more gun control, not a symptom of their many failures, and that’s the real issue.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--New Second Amendment Sanctuaries Could Face Legal Scrutiny

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a pair of Oregon counties that approved Second Amendment Sanctuary ordinances on Election Day , making it a crime to enforce state-level gun laws like “ red flag ” firearm seizures and Oregon ’ s concealed carry statute .
It took a little while , but now the state ’ s media is starting to take notice , and on today ’ s Bearing Arms ’ Cam & Co. we take a closer look at some of the coverage of the pro-gun referendums in Columbia and Umatilla counties .
The biggest question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in court , or if they ’ re even capable of being enforced .
As The Oregonian reports , at least one of the district attorneys in the new sanctuaries says he still plans on enforcing red flag laws , even if that violates the county ’ s new Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance .
If he were to ignore the new sanctuary law , who would prosecute the prosecutor ?
Telling law enforcement to ignore state-level laws that have been upheld by the courts is going to be problematic from a legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an enforcement mechanism for public officials who continue to enforce the current state statutes on the books .
I suspect , however , that most voters who approved the measures care less about the legal intricacies of enforcement and more about sending a message to lawmakers in Salem to back off their push to impose more restrictions on the Second Amendment .
In that , they may have gotten their wish .
While Democrats maintained their supermajority in the legislature , there are enough Republicans to deny Democrats a quorum in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve done repeatedly over the past year to stop votes on controversial pieces of legislation .
As for Second Amendment Sanctuaries , I actually think it ’ s generally both easier and more effective to push for Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions over ordinances .
As one 10th Amendment advocate told The Oregonian , 2A sanctuary supporters don ’ t have to reinvent the wheel here .
Law enforcement uses discretion every day in terms of enforcing the laws , and there ’ s absolutely nothing wrong , legally speaking , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offenses like carrying without a license is going to be a priority .
The same holds true with enforcement of a gun ban , magazine ban , universal background check law , or any of the other proposals frequently tossed out by anti-gun activists .
Of course , in order for that to be effective local law enforcement has to go along , which gets us back to the same issue that Umatilla County has with their District Attorney vowing to ignore the local ordinance .
Ultimately , in order for Second Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to represent not only the will of the voters , but the will of local politicians too .

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a pair of Oregon counties that approved Second Amendment Sanctuary ordinances on Election Day, making it a crime to enforce state-level gun laws like “red flag” firearm seizures and Oregon’s concealed carry statute. It took a little while, but now the state’s media is starting to take notice, and on today’s Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co. we take a closer look at some of the coverage of the pro-gun referendums in Columbia and Umatilla counties.
The biggest question is whether the new ordinances can stand up in court, or if they’re even capable of being enforced. As The Oregonian reports, at least one of the district attorneys in the new sanctuaries says he still plans on enforcing red flag laws, even if that violates the county’s new Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance. If he were to ignore the new sanctuary law, who would prosecute the prosecutor?
Legal experts — and even some national gun rights advocates — say the resolutions are on shaky ground because they require police to ignore laws they’re sworn to uphold. The measures also appear to undermine the state’s legal authority to regulate guns. Under Oregon law, the power to regulate almost all aspects of firearms rests with the Legislature. Umatilla County District Attorney Daniel Primus doesn’t expect the voter approval to have much of a practical effect for his office. He will uphold the law, he said. “I took an oath,” Primus said, “and I am going to follow that oath.”
Telling law enforcement to ignore state-level laws that have been upheld by the courts is going to be problematic from a legal perspective, and the law still lacks an enforcement mechanism for public officials who continue to enforce the current state statutes on the books.
I suspect, however, that most voters who approved the measures care less about the legal intricacies of enforcement and more about sending a message to lawmakers in Salem to back off their push to impose more restrictions on the Second Amendment. In that, they may have gotten their wish. While Democrats maintained their supermajority in the legislature, there are enough Republicans to deny Democrats a quorum in the state Senate if they walk out, which they’ve done repeatedly over the past year to stop votes on controversial pieces of legislation.
As for Second Amendment Sanctuaries, I actually think it’s generally both easier and more effective to push for Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions over ordinances. As one 10th Amendment advocate told The Oregonian, 2A sanctuary supporters don’t have to reinvent the wheel here.
Michael Boldin, executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, a small organization that describes itself as a “non-partisan think tank that supports the principles of strictly limited constitutional government,” called the measures “convoluted, confused, messy at best.” He said he has encouraged gun rights activists to model their ordinances after immigration sanctuary laws, like the one passed in Oregon decades ago that forbids local law enforcement from using public resources to find or detain undocumented immigrants not suspected of a crime. Boldin’s group promotes the controversial theory that states may nullify federal laws they consider unconstitutional. Oregon’s gun sanctuary measures don’t just address federal gun laws. They target state ones too, and that may undermine their effectiveness. “I actually will tell you right out front, I am fully on board with the concept,” Boldin said. “I am with the gun rights people in concept, but I think they have crafted these so poorly that in practice they actually do nothing.”
Looking at the language of sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants is a good place to start, and as Boldin notes, the ordinances or resolutions typically condemn the use of local funds to enforce federal immigration laws. When it comes to 2A Sanctuaries, we’ve seen similar language used in many cases, but we’ve also seen some resolutions encourage law enforcement not to prioritize the enforcement of certain gun control measures.
Law enforcement uses discretion every day in terms of enforcing the laws, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong, legally speaking, with local police deciding that enforcing non-violent possessory offenses like carrying without a license is going to be a priority. The same holds true with enforcement of a gun ban, magazine ban, universal background check law, or any of the other proposals frequently tossed out by anti-gun activists.
Of course, in order for that to be effective local law enforcement has to go along, which gets us back to the same issue that Umatilla County has with their District Attorney vowing to ignore the local ordinance. Ultimately, in order for Second Amendment sanctuaries to be truly effective, they have to represent not only the will of the voters, but the will of local politicians too.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Police Sieze Over 20 Guns From NY Gangs

Police Sieze Over 20 Guns From NY Gangs

New York is one of the more anti-gun states in our nation .
The governor there has waged a personal jihad against gun rights and the National Rifle Association in an effort to nullify the Second Amendment as best he can .
He ’ s put pressure on the financial industry–much of which is based in New York–to cut ties with the gun industry , creating all kinds of problems .
But hey , it means that New York doesn ’ t have any problem with bad guys getting guns , right ?
Well , not so much .
Nassau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns off the street since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic .
Cops confiscated three of them as recently as this weekend .
“ They were taken from 23 different gang members that have all been arrested — 10 of those were Bloods members , five of them were Eighteenth Street , five of them Rolling Sixties Crip , one was Latin Pride , Salvadoran Pride and folk Nation , ” Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said , listing the suspects ’ affiliations .
The most dangerous of the guns was a so-called street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 rounds of ammunition , police said .
“ Every single gun that ’ s here , in my mind , represents lives saved , ” County Executive Laura Curran said .
Which may or may not be accurate .
While gang members don ’ t necessarily represent the good guy with a gun by any stretch , not all of them are rolling out and killing people , either .
After all , there are an estimated 1.4 million gang members in the country , and while much of the violence we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t necessarily hold that every armed gang member is a murderer .
But , let ’ s say that the difference is so minuscule as to be meaningless .
I mean , I ’ m willing to admit that ’ s potentially true since gang members aren ’ t exactly upstanding citizens .
So , then the question is how did these firearms end up in the gangs ’ hands .
After all , New York loves them some gun control , now don ’ t they ?
If gun control worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have had any guns , yet they did .
Well , it ’ s because gun control simply doesn ’ t work .
Those gangs they tried to disarm ?
They probably had another gun within five minutes of hitting the streets again .
Criminals don ’ t follow the law .
It ’ s kind of part of the job description .
As such , they buy guns not from lawful dealers but from black market suppliers .
They buy firearms stolen from law-abiding citizens .
Of course , anti-gunners then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens in some bizarre belief that if you do that , the criminals will somehow be impacted .
Well , that ’ s not happening in any state we ’ ve seen .
Criminals will get their guns .
Even the tight gun control we see in Mexico has done nothing to prevent rampant violence from taking place .
Clearly , New York ’ s laws aren ’ t doing very much , either .
At the end of the day , gun laws don ’ t impact criminals all that much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns , but they ’ ll still get them .
The sooner people understand that the sooner we can stop punishing ordinary citizens for the acts of the depraved .

New York is one of the more anti-gun states in our nation. The governor there has waged a personal jihad against gun rights and the National Rifle Association in an effort to nullify the Second Amendment as best he can. He’s put pressure on the financial industry–much of which is based in New York–to cut ties with the gun industry, creating all kinds of problems.
But hey, it means that New York doesn’t have any problem with bad guys getting guns, right?
Right?
Well, not so much.
Nassau County police have taken more than 20 guns off the street since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Cops confiscated three of them as recently as this weekend. “They were taken from 23 different gang members that have all been arrested — 10 of those were Bloods members, five of them were Eighteenth Street, five of them Rolling Sixties Crip, one was Latin Pride, Salvadoran Pride and folk Nation,” Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, listing the suspects’ affiliations. The most dangerous of the guns was a so-called street sweeper, which can hold up to 100 rounds of ammunition, police said. “Every single gun that’s here, in my mind, represents lives saved,” County Executive Laura Curran said.
Which may or may not be accurate. While gang members don’t necessarily represent the good guy with a gun by any stretch, not all of them are rolling out and killing people, either. After all, there are an estimated 1.4 million gang members in the country, and while much of the violence we see is gang violence, it doesn’t necessarily hold that every armed gang member is a murderer.
But, let’s say that the difference is so minuscule as to be meaningless. I mean, I’m willing to admit that’s potentially true since gang members aren’t exactly upstanding citizens.
So, then the question is how did these firearms end up in the gangs’ hands. After all, New York loves them some gun control, now don’t they? If gun control worked as advertised, these gangs shouldn’t have had any guns, yet they did.
Well, it’s because gun control simply doesn’t work. Those gangs they tried to disarm? They probably had another gun within five minutes of hitting the streets again.
Criminals don’t follow the law. It’s kind of part of the job description. As such, they buy guns not from lawful dealers but from black market suppliers. They buy firearms stolen from law-abiding citizens.
Of course, anti-gunners then try to pass laws hurting those law-abiding citizens in some bizarre belief that if you do that, the criminals will somehow be impacted. Well, that’s not happening in any state we’ve seen. Criminals will get their guns. Even the tight gun control we see in Mexico has done nothing to prevent rampant violence from taking place.
Clearly, New York’s laws aren’t doing very much, either.
At the end of the day, gun laws don’t impact criminals all that much. It might impact where they get their guns, but they’ll still get them. The sooner people understand that the sooner we can stop punishing ordinary citizens for the acts of the depraved.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--The Pro-Second Amendment World Of Harry Potter

Everywhere you look , it seems that someone is trying to compare the wizarding world of Harry Potter to our real world .
Trump was Voldemort , for example .
Someone would be the notorious Delores Umbridge .
They tried their damnedest to make the connection .
In fact , it was so bad that a popular mantra in response to signs suggesting such a comparison was “ read another book.
” I ’ ve read a lot of books , but for all of those who are convinced that Harry Potter is the key to life , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all pro-Second Amendment .
After all , let ’ s take a look at the wizarding world and Harry ’ s school of Hogwarts .
Now , firearms never actually show up in either the books or the movies .
That ’ s not overly surprising , of course .
For one , this takes place in the UK .
For another , it ’ s a story focused on children .
Neither of those is suggestive of people walking around with firearms .
However , another reason why you ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , woman , and child seems to carry something that is far more deadly and dangerous than any firearm .
They carry wants .
What ’ s more , those wants are routinely used for self-defense by everyone , including the children , as they battle the forces of He Who Shall Not Be Named .
Hogwarts , the wizarding school that pretty much everyone seems to go to , doesn ’ t just permit its students to wander about armed , they require the wands for school work .
In fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they ’ re used for pretty much everything , but Hogwarts doesn ’ t ignore their potentials as a weapon .
Quite the contrary , actually .
They incorporate it as part of their lessons .
One of the running themes through the books is how there ’ s a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year .
In fact , it becomes a thing about how the position is cursed .
After all , no one lasts more than a year in the role .
Regardless , Defense Against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least , it ’ s not until the vile bureaucrat Umbridge takes over .
No , it ’ s practical training on how to use one ’ s wand in self-defense .
They ’ re teaching children how to use weapons and it ’ s a core part of their studies up until they graduate .
Meanwhile , we face a wall of controversy about letting the teachers carry weapons .
Of course , I get that Harry Potter is fictional .
I ’ ve written plenty of fiction myself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all kinds of ways that go beyond the existence of magic .
Yet , fiction can also offer suggestions we can learn from if we choose .
In Harry Potter , the bad guys are the bad guys and the good guys are the good guys .
Their ownership of a weapon far more deadly than anything you or I can buy doesn ’ t change who they are as people .
The evil wizards don ’ t become good by taking their wands away and the good wizards don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can .
That ’ s the same as it is with firearms , and for those who look for political lessons from the book , even if J.K. Rowling is now “ problematic , ” the truth is that one place to start would be to rethink any anti-gun positions you might have .

Everywhere you look, it seems that someone is trying to compare the wizarding world of Harry Potter to our real world. Trump was Voldemort, for example. Someone would be the notorious Delores Umbridge. They tried their damnedest to make the connection.
In fact, it was so bad that a popular mantra in response to signs suggesting such a comparison was “read another book.”
I’ve read a lot of books, but for all of those who are convinced that Harry Potter is the key to life, I’m curious why they’re not all pro-Second Amendment.
After all, let’s take a look at the wizarding world and Harry’s school of Hogwarts.
Now, firearms never actually show up in either the books or the movies. That’s not overly surprising, of course. For one, this takes place in the UK. For another, it’s a story focused on children. Neither of those is suggestive of people walking around with firearms.
However, another reason why you’re not likely to see guns is because every man, woman, and child seems to carry something that is far more deadly and dangerous than any firearm. They carry wands.
What’s more, those wands are routinely used for self-defense by everyone, including the children, as they battle the forces of He Who Shall Not Be Named.
Hogwarts, the wizarding school that pretty much everyone seems to go to, doesn’t just permit its students to wander about armed, they require the wands for school work. In fairness, the wands are also utilitarian in that they’re used for pretty much everything, but Hogwarts doesn’t ignore their potentials as a weapon. Quite the contrary, actually. They incorporate it as part of their lessons.
One of the running themes through the books is how there’s a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year. In fact, it becomes a thing about how the position is cursed. After all, no one lasts more than a year in the role.
Regardless, Defense Against the Dark Arts isn’t theoretical. At least, it’s not until the vile bureaucrat Umbridge takes over.
No, it’s practical training on how to use one’s wand in self-defense. They’re teaching children how to use weapons and it’s a core part of their studies up until they graduate.
Meanwhile, we face a wall of controversy about letting the teachers carry weapons.
Of course, I get that Harry Potter is fictional. I’ve written plenty of fiction myself, after all. They diverge from reality in all kinds of ways that go beyond the existence of magic.
Yet, fiction can also offer suggestions we can learn from if we choose.
In Harry Potter, the bad guys are the bad guys and the good guys are the good guys. Their ownership of a weapon far more deadly than anything you or I can buy doesn’t change who they are as people. The evil wizards don’t become good by taking their wands away and the good wizards don’t go on killing rampages simply because they can.
That’s the same as it is with firearms, and for those who look for political lessons from the book, even if J.K. Rowling is now “problematic,” the truth is that one place to start would be to rethink any anti-gun positions you might have.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Ammo Shortage Likely To Impact Hunters

Ammo Shortage Likely To Impact Hunters

Deer season is firing up in a lot of places .
A lot of people will be taking to the woods in hopes of bagging them a nice buck or a fat doe for the freezer .
Especially since it seems more people are hunting this year .
However , those gearing up for hunting season may well be able to hit a bit of a problem .
It seems the ammo shortage is set to become an issue .
Just days ahead of the 2020 gun deer season in Wisconsin , there ’ s an ammo shortage .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hard to find , and in many cases , the shelves are empty .
In 35 years of selling guns and ammunition , Arlyn Bradley can recall a few times when there ’ s been a rush on ammo .
But like so many other things in 2020 , this year is different .
“ Not like this , there were shortages before but it was always just a few , the real popular like the 9mm , .380 , ‚223 , but it ’ s everything right now , I mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” says Bradley , owner of Bradley Gun Sales in Denmark .
Whether it ’ s smaller gun shops like Bradley ’ s , or big outdoor retailers in Northeast Wisconsin , supply and demand is far from balanced .
“ If we would have ammo for everybody that called , it ’ d have to be coming in by the semi load , it ’ s unbelievable , every day the phone just ring , ring , ring steady , ” says Bradley .
To make matters worse is the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stock up on their hunting calibers .
They buy a box or two at the start of the season , shoot whatever they shoot during the season , and then plan on using anything left over to check the zero on their scope .
I know a number of people who are likely to be in a bit of a pickle right about now .
Sure , those who hand load may be fine , but what about the rest ?
Online doesn ’ t even seem to be much of a hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ammo and we ’ re not likely to see that change anytime soon .
It kind of makes you wonder just how many people will start taking up archery as a way to put meat in the freezer .
Archery tackle appears to be in abundant supply , but hunting with a bow is different than with a rifle .
Some won ’ t really know how to make that jump while others simply won ’ t want to .
Yeah , this is 2020 for you .
We ’ ve seen shortages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunting for your own food isn ’ t even a solution since a lot of people won ’ t have ammo .
Hopefully , some of this will settle down in the near future and we can put this craziness behind us .
Unfortunately , it won ’ t be anytime soon .
We ’ re looking at months , if not longer , before things settle down and ammo supplies normalize .
That ’ s assuming that they ever do , which I do but would be remiss not to acknowledge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Deer season is firing up in a lot of places. A lot of people will be taking to the woods in hopes of bagging them a nice buck or a fat doe for the freezer. Especially since it seems more people are hunting this year.
However, those gearing up for hunting season may well be able to hit a bit of a problem. It seems the ammo shortage is set to become an issue.
Just days ahead of the 2020 gun deer season in Wisconsin, there’s an ammo shortage. No matter where hunters go, rifle ammunition is hard to find, and in many cases, the shelves are empty. In 35 years of selling guns and ammunition, Arlyn Bradley can recall a few times when there’s been a rush on ammo. But like so many other things in 2020, this year is different. “Not like this, there were shortages before but it was always just a few, the real popular like the 9mm, .380, ‚223, but it’s everything right now, I mean everything, it’s unbelievable,” says Bradley, owner of Bradley Gun Sales in Denmark. Whether it’s smaller gun shops like Bradley’s, or big outdoor retailers in Northeast Wisconsin, supply and demand is far from balanced. “If we would have ammo for everybody that called, it’d have to be coming in by the semi load, it’s unbelievable, every day the phone just ring, ring, ring steady,” says Bradley.
Honestly, that sucks.
To make matters worse is the fact that a lot of people don’t stock up on their hunting calibers. They buy a box or two at the start of the season, shoot whatever they shoot during the season, and then plan on using anything left over to check the zero on their scope. I know a number of people who are likely to be in a bit of a pickle right about now.
Sure, those who hand load may be fine, but what about the rest?
Online doesn’t even seem to be much of a hope, either. Everyone is low on ammo and we’re not likely to see that change anytime soon. It kind of makes you wonder just how many people will start taking up archery as a way to put meat in the freezer. Archery tackle appears to be in abundant supply, but hunting with a bow is different than with a rifle. Some won’t really know how to make that jump while others simply won’t want to.
Yeah, this is 2020 for you. We’ve seen shortages of pretty much everything and now even hunting for your own food isn’t even a solution since a lot of people won’t have ammo.
Hopefully, some of this will settle down in the near future and we can put this craziness behind us. Unfortunately, it won’t be anytime soon. We’re looking at months, if not longer, before things settle down and ammo supplies normalize. That’s assuming that they ever do, which I do but would be remiss not to acknowledge the possibility that this is the new normal.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--With Crime Rising, Boston Cracks Down On Police Overtime

There ’ s a strange paradox among many gun control activists these days ; they love to put gun laws on the books , but they ’ re not big fans of those who would actually enforce the laws .
That appears to be the case in Boston , where gun-related crimes are up 60 % compared to 2019 , but local politicians are still intent on stripping tens of millions of dollars from the budget of the city ’ s police department .
According to the Boston Herald , while city council members aren ’ t using the phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s exactly what they ’ re planning to do by aiming for drastic cuts to the department ’ s overtime budget , even if that leads to fewer officers patrolling the city ’ s most dangerous neighborhoods .
Calls to “ defund the police ” make no distinction between police departments in Minneapolis or Kenosha and Boston .
And so it is that the Boston Police Department ’ s overtime budget is targeted for a $ 25 million cut , despite costs being down 14.6 % in the first quarter compared to last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overtime went unfulfilled last quarter , according to police department data .
That puts the department on track to save $ 10.5 million — but that ’ s not good enough .
“ Reductions so far have very much been driven by COVID savings and conditions .
What the council and administration committed to on behalf of the public was a more structural change , ” City Councilor Kenzie Bok told the Herald following a four-hour oversight meeting on Monday .
Of course money is needed for social services , particularly for underserved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive change in the city is , at the very least , by respecting all those who work for the city and their contributions .
In terms of the police department , that also means acknowledging the reality of a rise in crime in Boston — and the need for officers to fight it .
As talks of cutting the BPD overtime budget started earlier this year , BPD Superintendent Jim Hasson told the council that about 33 % of officers are off work on average this year , leading to 94 officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to maintain minimum staffing levels each day .
As the Herald reported , Hassan noted that 68 % of OT costs are either for “ replacement costs ” — pulling in an officer to cover one of those missing shifts — or “ extended tours , ” which is when officers have to work longer , normally to finish up something that started during their shift .
As the Herald ‘ s editorial board reports , some council members say they want to experiment with longer shifts that they believe would help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do nothing to “ cover replacement shifts when officers are off , or address work that could not be finished during a regular shift.
” There ’ ve been 52 homicides in the city so far this year , compared to 38 in all of 2019 , and non-fatal shootings have increased as well .
Instead of flooding high-crime neighborhoods with cops on patrol and allowing homicide detectives time to develop relationships with potential witnesses that can lead to arrests and convictions , city council members seem to view police as a bigger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminals .
That ’ s a recipe for disaster , especially when it ’ s coupled with Massachusetts ’ restrictive gun laws that leave many law-abiding citizens without their right to keep and bear arms for self-defense .

There’s a strange paradox among many gun control activists these days; they love to put gun laws on the books, but they’re not big fans of those who would actually enforce the laws. That appears to be the case in Boston, where gun-related crimes are up 60% compared to 2019, but local politicians are still intent on stripping tens of millions of dollars from the budget of the city’s police department.
According to the Boston Herald, while city council members aren’t using the phrase “defund police,” that’s exactly what they’re planning to do by aiming for drastic cuts to the department’s overtime budget, even if that leads to fewer officers patrolling the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
Calls to “defund the police” make no distinction between police departments in Minneapolis or Kenosha and Boston. And so it is that the Boston Police Department’s overtime budget is targeted for a $25 million cut, despite costs being down 14.6% in the first quarter compared to last year. And about 27,000 hours of overtime went unfulfilled last quarter, according to police department data. That puts the department on track to save $10.5 million — but that’s not good enough. “Reductions so far have very much been driven by COVID savings and conditions. What the council and administration committed to on behalf of the public was a more structural change,” City Councilor Kenzie Bok told the Herald following a four-hour oversight meeting on Monday. Of course money is needed for social services, particularly for underserved communities — but the way to effect positive change in the city is, at the very least, by respecting all those who work for the city and their contributions. In terms of the police department, that also means acknowledging the reality of a rise in crime in Boston — and the need for officers to fight it. As talks of cutting the BPD overtime budget started earlier this year, BPD Superintendent Jim Hasson told the council that about 33% of officers are off work on average this year, leading to 94 officer shifts that have to be replaced in order to maintain minimum staffing levels each day. As the Herald reported, Hassan noted that 68% of OT costs are either for “replacement costs” — pulling in an officer to cover one of those missing shifts — or “extended tours,” which is when officers have to work longer, normally to finish up something that started during their shift.
As the Herald‘s editorial board reports, some council members say they want to experiment with longer shifts that they believe would help avoid overtime, but that move would do nothing to “cover replacement shifts when officers are off, or address work that could not be finished during a regular shift.”
There’ve been 52 homicides in the city so far this year, compared to 38 in all of 2019, and non-fatal shootings have increased as well. Instead of flooding high-crime neighborhoods with cops on patrol and allowing homicide detectives time to develop relationships with potential witnesses that can lead to arrests and convictions, city council members seem to view police as a bigger problem than the city’s violent criminals. That’s a recipe for disaster, especially when it’s coupled with Massachusetts’ restrictive gun laws that leave many law-abiding citizens without their right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Gun Banners Push Biden To Target 2A With Executive Actions

At the moment , it looks like if Joe Biden is sworn in as president in January , the centerpiece of his anti-gun agenda is going to face impossible odds in the U.S. Senate , where Republicans will control at least 50 seats and have the opportunity for an outright majority if they win at least one of the two Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia ’ s runoff elections .
Now gun control activists , who were anticipating a “ blue wave ” election fueled by a flood of campaign cash from anti-gun sugar daddy Michael Bloomberg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use the power of the executive branch if he takes office by weaponizing the ATF and other government agencies in order to crack down on legal gun owners .
At Bloomberg ’ s anti-gun news outlet The Trace , reporter Chip Brownlee lays out seven ways Biden can do an end run around Congress on gun issues , starting with an interagency task force to look for ways to implement anti-gun policies throughout the myriad number of government agencies .
Chelsea Parsons , an anti-gun activist with the far-Left Center for American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs to be a top priority for a Biden administration .
“ At a minimum , it ’ s crucial to nominate and confirm an ATF director who will promote gun violence prevention values and will really prioritize the regulatory oversight mission of that agency , which is something the agency really has fallen short on in recent years , ” Parsons said .
Biden ’ s platform does not stop with new , more focused leadership .
He has said he will direct his attorney general to deliver within the first 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ATF and related Justice Department agencies to most effectively enforce gun laws , including by increasing the frequency of inspections on ATF-licensed gun dealers .
We ’ ve already seen reports that the Biden transition team is talking with senior ATF officials about things like pistol braces and unfinished receivers and frames , but the agency could also reclassify millions of currently-owned firearms as items that need to be registered under the National Firearms Act without any legislative mandate to do so .
Any broad reclassification would lead to an immediate lawsuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target legal gun owners this is a likely place for him to start .
Gun control activists haven ’ t given up entirely on Congress either , though they ’ re still misreading the election results as some sort of mandate for their unconstitutional agenda .
“ With pressure from the House… and with President Biden not only supporting that legislation but taking action in his own right through the executive action process and federal rulemaking , I think it just kind of compounds the message that Senate Republicans can ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vokhiwa , director of federal affairs for the gun violence prevention group Giffords .
Some of Biden ’ s other proposals , like $ 900 million in funding for community gun violence prevention programs and adequate funding for existing background check programs , may also have a decent chance in a Senate with a slim Republican majority .
“ The gun lobby and the NRA no longer have a stranglehold on our elected officials , ” Vokhiwa said .
“ Unfortunately , there are a few in the Senate , particularly Senate Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need to be beholden to the gun lobby .
But I think that ’ s just evidence that they ’ re out of step with the American public who , by and large , want a government to take action on gun violence and what elected officials to pass legislation and take executive action to save lives.
” Sorry , Adzi , but that ’ s not what we saw with this election .
Gun control groups were actively downplaying their issue as millions of Americans flocked to gun stores to purchase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications have skyrocketed to record levels , and anti-gun activists failed to make the legislative gains at either the state or federal level that would indicate Americans saw this election as a referendum on the Second Amendment .
Democrats will likely still make gun control a top priority in the coming months , but they do so at their own political peril , especially if their efforts are aimed at legal gun owners instead of the small but growing number of violent criminals in our society .

At the moment, it looks like if Joe Biden is sworn in as president in January, the centerpiece of his anti-gun agenda is going to face impossible odds in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans will control at least 50 seats and have the opportunity for an outright majority if they win at least one of the two Senate seats up for grabs in Georgia’s runoff elections. Now gun control activists, who were anticipating a “blue wave” election fueled by a flood of campaign cash from anti-gun sugar daddy Michael Bloomberg, are starting to push the presumptive president to use the power of the executive branch if he takes office by weaponizing the ATF and other government agencies in order to crack down on legal gun owners.
At Bloomberg’s anti-gun news outlet The Trace, reporter Chip Brownlee lays out seven ways Biden can do an end run around Congress on gun issues, starting with an interagency task force to look for ways to implement anti-gun policies throughout the myriad number of government agencies.
Chelsea Parsons, an anti-gun activist with the far-Left Center for American Progress, says that the ATF also needs to be a top priority for a Biden administration.
“At a minimum, it’s crucial to nominate and confirm an ATF director who will promote gun violence prevention values and will really prioritize the regulatory oversight mission of that agency, which is something the agency really has fallen short on in recent years,” Parsons said. Biden’s platform does not stop with new, more focused leadership. He has said he will direct his attorney general to deliver within the first 100 days a set of recommendations for restructuring the ATF and related Justice Department agencies to most effectively enforce gun laws, including by increasing the frequency of inspections on ATF-licensed gun dealers.
We’ve already seen reports that the Biden transition team is talking with senior ATF officials about things like pistol braces and unfinished receivers and frames, but the agency could also reclassify millions of currently-owned firearms as items that need to be registered under the National Firearms Act without any legislative mandate to do so. Any broad reclassification would lead to an immediate lawsuit, but if Biden really wants to target legal gun owners this is a likely place for him to start.
Gun control activists haven’t given up entirely on Congress either, though they’re still misreading the election results as some sort of mandate for their unconstitutional agenda.
“With pressure from the House… and with President Biden not only supporting that legislation but taking action in his own right through the executive action process and federal rulemaking, I think it just kind of compounds the message that Senate Republicans can’t get off the hook,” said Adzi Vokhiwa, director of federal affairs for the gun violence prevention group Giffords. Some of Biden’s other proposals, like $900 million in funding for community gun violence prevention programs and adequate funding for existing background check programs, may also have a decent chance in a Senate with a slim Republican majority. “The gun lobby and the NRA no longer have a stranglehold on our elected officials,” Vokhiwa said. “Unfortunately, there are a few in the Senate, particularly Senate Republicans, who still seem to think that they need to be beholden to the gun lobby. But I think that’s just evidence that they’re out of step with the American public who, by and large, want a government to take action on gun violence and what elected officials to pass legislation and take executive action to save lives.”
Sorry, Adzi, but that’s not what we saw with this election. Gun control groups were actively downplaying their issue as millions of Americans flocked to gun stores to purchase their very first firearm, concealed carry applications have skyrocketed to record levels, and anti-gun activists failed to make the legislative gains at either the state or federal level that would indicate Americans saw this election as a referendum on the Second Amendment.
Democrats will likely still make gun control a top priority in the coming months, but they do so at their own political peril, especially if their efforts are aimed at legal gun owners instead of the small but growing number of violent criminals in our society.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Lil Wayne Attorney Cites ACB After Gun Arrest

This might be my favorite plot development in the ongoing soap opera that is 2020 .
Rapper Lil Wayne was arrested this week and is now facing federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition .
The arrest stems from an incident in December of last year when a gold-plated gun was found in his luggage as police searched his private jet .
Wayne , who was previously convicted of weapons charges in New York back in 2007 and drug charges in Arizona in 2008 , ended up endorsing Donald Trump before the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s work on criminal justice reform , but now Wayne ’ s attorney is singing the praises of Trump ’ s latest appointee to the Supreme Court .
In a press statement , attorney Howard Srebnick pointed out that Justice Amy Coney Barrett has previously opined that a felony conviction should not result in an automatic lifetime loss of Second Amendment rights .
[ Lil Wayne ] is charged with possessing a gold-plated handgun in his luggage on a private plane .
There is no allegation that he ever fired it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use it .
There is no allegation that he is a dangerous person .
The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past , he is prohibited from possessing a firearm .
Although the Supreme Court has not yet decided the constitutional question , Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently wrote an appellate dissenting opinion in which she stated that “ Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk , permanently disqualifying [ a convicted felon ] from possessing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s worth noting that in the appellate decision cited by Srebnick , Barrett ’ s opinion was a dissent from the majority opinion , which upheld the prohibition on gun ownership for a man named Rickey Kanter , who ’ d been convicted of mail fraud and served a year in federal prison .
I happen to think that Barrett had the right idea , but for the moment anyway the federal court system disagrees .
The odds are that this case will get resolved one way or the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rapper is going to face the maximum sentence of a decade behind bars , because celebrity justice is definitely a thing .
Still , it ’ s not inconceivable that Lil Wayne ’ s case will one day reach the Supreme Court , and Justice Barrett ’ s views may carry the day if and when that happens .
I just hope that if SCOTUS ever does have the chance to hear Lil Wayne ’ s case that ACB will be assigned the opinion , and that she cites some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this story full circle .

This might be my favorite plot development in the ongoing soap opera that is 2020. Rapper Lil Wayne was arrested this week and is now facing federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The arrest stems from an incident in December of last year when a gold-plated gun was found in his luggage as police searched his private jet. Wayne, who was previously convicted of weapons charges in New York back in 2007 and drug charges in Arizona in 2008, ended up endorsing Donald Trump before the election, in large part because of the president’s work on criminal justice reform, but now Wayne’s attorney is singing the praises of Trump’s latest appointee to the Supreme Court.
In a press statement, attorney Howard Srebnick pointed out that Justice Amy Coney Barrett has previously opined that a felony conviction should not result in an automatic lifetime loss of Second Amendment rights.
[Lil Wayne] is charged with possessing a gold-plated handgun in his luggage on a private plane. There is no allegation that he ever fired it, brandished it, used it or threatened to use it. There is no allegation that he is a dangerous person. The charge is that because he was convicted of a felony in the past, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Although the Supreme Court has not yet decided the constitutional question, Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently wrote an appellate dissenting opinion in which she stated that “Absent evidence that he either belongs to a dangerous category or bears individual markers of risk, permanently disqualifying [a convicted felon] from possessing a gun violates the Second Amendment.
Now, it’s worth noting that in the appellate decision cited by Srebnick, Barrett’s opinion was a dissent from the majority opinion, which upheld the prohibition on gun ownership for a man named Rickey Kanter, who’d been convicted of mail fraud and served a year in federal prison. I happen to think that Barrett had the right idea, but for the moment anyway the federal court system disagrees.
The odds are that this case will get resolved one way or the other before trial, and I doubt that the rapper is going to face the maximum sentence of a decade behind bars, because celebrity justice is definitely a thing. Still, it’s not inconceivable that Lil Wayne’s case will one day reach the Supreme Court, and Justice Barrett’s views may carry the day if and when that happens. I just hope that if SCOTUS ever does have the chance to hear Lil Wayne’s case that ACB will be assigned the opinion, and that she cites some of his lyrics in her decision just to bring this story full circle.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Obama Still Salty About GOP Not Licking His Boots On Guns

As president , Barack Obama desperately wanted gun control .
He didn ’ t run on it because he knew he didn ’ t have the votes for it , but everyone knew what he really wanted to see .
Hell , he even admitted why he wasn ’ t running on gun control but that he ’ d love to pass it anyway .
This was a man no reasonable gun owner trusted .
Then Sandy Hook happened , and the world was devastated .
Contrary to what a lot of people think , that included gun owners .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Obama felt it was time to Do Something .
Nevermind that the killer murdered his own mother to steal her gun or anything .
Nope , he wanted to pass gun control .
Luckily , he couldn ’ t make it happen .
It turns out , he ’ s still a little salty about it .
Former President Barack Obama described the Sandy Hook shooting as the “ saddest day ” of his presidency but , he said , “ when Congress failed to do anything in the aftermath , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ever was .
“ I was disgusted and appalled by the inaction .
You had parents who just lost their children sitting in front of senators and asking them for very modest reasonable approaches .
This wasn ’ t some radical agenda , ” Obama told Oprah Winfrey in a hour-plus episode of The Oprah Conversation that debuted on Apple TV+ on Tuesday .
“ It was all viewed as politics as opposed to this human moment we should ’ ve been able to respond to as a society.
” And he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address whether the United States is close to a solution on the issue of gun violence .
When Winfrey asked him , after Obama had touched on the “ anguish ” of Sandy Hook , if he thought if people saw the victims of mass shootings and the “ carnage ” if that would change how Americans feel about gun violence , Obama said , “ Gun violence is one of those issues where we are far away from the promised land on because it ’ s become such a cultural hot-button issue.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with people ’ s sense of identity and the degree to which the country ’ s divided and some of this is a big rural , urban split , ” he added , referencing hunting and how in particularly remote communities one might want some sort of protection , living 15-20 minutes away from the local police station .
“ It ’ s gotten very polarized .
I think unwinding the polarization around that issue is going to take some time.
” Of course , he ’ s ignoring the role he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is a man who responded to criticism of not working with Republicans by saying “ I won ” and pushed the whole “ elections have consequences ” narrative to the point that it was clear he wasn ’ t willing to work with his opposition .
It was his way or the highway .
So no , no one tripped over themselves to pass gun control legislation that likely wouldn ’ t have done a damn thing to prevent the shooting in the first place .
Obama is upset that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play dead .
For him , that is the promised land on guns and so-called gun violence .
I ’ ve got news for him , though .
That ’ s never gon na happen .

As president, Barack Obama desperately wanted gun control. He didn’t run on it because he knew he didn’t have the votes for it, but everyone knew what he really wanted to see. Hell, he even admitted why he wasn’t running on gun control but that he’d love to pass it anyway. This was a man no reasonable gun owner trusted.
Then Sandy Hook happened, and the world was devastated. Contrary to what a lot of people think, that included gun owners.
But rather than mourn and move on, Obama felt it was time to Do Something. Nevermind that the killer murdered his own mother to steal her gun or anything. Nope, he wanted to pass gun control.
Luckily, he couldn’t make it happen. It turns out, he’s still a little salty about it.
Former President Barack Obama described the Sandy Hook shooting as the “saddest day” of his presidency but, he said, “when Congress failed to do anything in the aftermath,” it also became “the angriest” he ever was. “I was disgusted and appalled by the inaction. You had parents who just lost their children sitting in front of senators and asking them for very modest reasonable approaches. This wasn’t some radical agenda,” Obama told Oprah Winfrey in a hour-plus episode of The Oprah Conversation that debuted on Apple TV+ on Tuesday. “It was all viewed as politics as opposed to this human moment we should’ve been able to respond to as a society.” And he uses the title of his book to address whether the United States is close to a solution on the issue of gun violence. When Winfrey asked him, after Obama had touched on the “anguish” of Sandy Hook, if he thought if people saw the victims of mass shootings and the “carnage” if that would change how Americans feel about gun violence, Obama said, “Gun violence is one of those issues where we are far away from the promised land on because it’s become such a cultural hot-button issue.” “It’s become wrapped up with people’s sense of identity and the degree to which the country’s divided and some of this is a big rural, urban split,” he added, referencing hunting and how in particularly remote communities one might want some sort of protection, living 15-20 minutes away from the local police station. “It’s gotten very polarized. I think unwinding the polarization around that issue is going to take some time.”
Of course, he’s ignoring the role he played in that polarization. After all, this is a man who responded to criticism of not working with Republicans by saying “I won” and pushed the whole “elections have consequences” narrative to the point that it was clear he wasn’t willing to work with his opposition. It was his way or the highway.
That’s especially true on guns.
So no, no one tripped over themselves to pass gun control legislation that likely wouldn’t have done a damn thing to prevent the shooting in the first place.
Obama is upset that we didn’t just roll over and play dead. For him, that is the promised land on guns and so-called gun violence. I’ve got news for him, though. That’s never gonna happen.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Ohio Lawmakers Planning Major 2A Push

Ohio Lawmakers Planning Major 2A Push

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been stumping for his Ohio STRONG package of gun control legislation for close to a year now , but most Republican lawmakers in control of the statehouse in Columbus have shown little interest in passing the governor ’ s wish list .
Instead , a group of GOP House members are looking at expanding the Second Amendment rights of residents in the state , including expanding the locations where folks can lawfully carry , lowering the age to purchase handguns to 18 , and expanding “ Stand Your Ground ” protections in state law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the proposals , complete with scare quotes from a longtime gun control activist in the state .
“ The combination of all of these things is really frightening because it ’ s almost an obsession with the access to guns , ” said Toby Hoover , founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence .
The proposals stand in stark contrast to Republican Gov .
Mike DeWine ’ s pleas to address gun violence .
DeWine has repeatedly asked lawmakers to increase penalties for people who provide guns to others prohibited from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Bill 248 would make it more difficult to prosecute someone who sells , lends or gives a firearm to someone who is intoxicated or banned from having a gun .
The seller would have to “ knowingly ” provide the gun rather than “ recklessly , ” the requirement under current law .
Another hotly contested concept – stand your ground – makes an appearance in proposed changes .
With an amendment , the bill would eliminate a duty to retreat before firing in self-defense while at a business .
Current law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground ” at their residences or vehicles .
GOP lawmakers , in another bill , recently proposed eliminating a duty to retreat before firing during a riot .
The amendments would allow concealed guns in more places , including colleges and universities , places of worship and state property .
Other locations that currently ban concealed guns , such as police stations and airport terminals , could allow them if the governing bodies of those locations approve the change .
In addition to the proposed changes laid out by the Enquirer , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to HB 248 would remove current prohibitions on lawful concealed carry in an establishment that serves alcohol ( though the carrier would still violate state law if they were under the influence ) , allow 18-year olds to obtain a concealed carry license ( and allow those with a CCW to purchase handguns at age 18 ) , along with several other measures aimed at strengthening and securing the right to keep and bear arms .
• Eliminate the requirement that concealed weapons licensees carry their license with them .
Any valid identification @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a requirement that concealed handgun license holders “ promptly ” inform police that they have a gun .
Licensees would still need to inform police if they have a gun in the vehicle .
• Prohibit schools and universities from penalizing employees or students who carry a concealed weapon legally .
• Specify that state and federal lawmakers can regulate guns – not city and other local officials .
• Require police to auction unclaimed or forfeited firearms rather than destroy them .
• Would allow the manufacture , sale and possession of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blackjack , sandbag , switchblade knife , springblade knife , gravity knife or similar weapon .
Gun control advocates were hoping to make enough gains during the elections to make it impossible for pro-2A legislators to advance their agenda .
Instead , Republicans expanded their majorities in the House and maintained their majority in the state Senate , which bodes well for the passage of HB 248 .
The bill was originally scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday , but the hearing itself was pushed back .
Still , lawmakers are hoping to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House before Thanksgiving , so Ohio gun owners should be contacting their state representatives now to show their support for the legislation .

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been stumping for his Ohio STRONG package of gun control legislation for close to a year now, but most Republican lawmakers in control of the statehouse in Columbus have shown little interest in passing the governor’s wish list.
Instead, a group of GOP House members are looking at expanding the Second Amendment rights of residents in the state, including expanding the locations where folks can lawfully carry, lowering the age to purchase handguns to 18, and expanding “Stand Your Ground” protections in state law.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has a pearl-clutching analysis of the proposals, complete with scare quotes from a longtime gun control activist in the state.
“The combination of all of these things is really frightening because it’s almost an obsession with the access to guns,” said Toby Hoover, founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence. The proposals stand in stark contrast to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s pleas to address gun violence. DeWine has repeatedly asked lawmakers to increase penalties for people who provide guns to others prohibited from having them. Instead, changes to House Bill 248 would make it more difficult to prosecute someone who sells, lends or gives a firearm to someone who is intoxicated or banned from having a gun. The seller would have to “knowingly” provide the gun rather than “recklessly,” the requirement under current law. Another hotly contested concept – stand your ground – makes an appearance in proposed changes. With an amendment, the bill would eliminate a duty to retreat before firing in self-defense while at a business. Current law only allows Ohioans to “stand their ground” at their residences or vehicles. GOP lawmakers, in another bill, recently proposed eliminating a duty to retreat before firing during a riot. The amendments would allow concealed guns in more places, including colleges and universities, places of worship and state property. Other locations that currently ban concealed guns, such as police stations and airport terminals, could allow them if the governing bodies of those locations approve the change.
In addition to the proposed changes laid out by the Enquirer, the amendments that are set to be added to HB 248 would remove current prohibitions on lawful concealed carry in an establishment that serves alcohol (though the carrier would still violate state law if they were under the influence), allow 18-year olds to obtain a concealed carry license (and allow those with a CCW to purchase handguns at age 18), along with several other measures aimed at strengthening and securing the right to keep and bear arms.
Eliminate the requirement that concealed weapons licensees carry their license with them. Any valid identification could be used instead.
Eliminate a requirement that concealed handgun license holders “promptly” inform police that they have a gun. Licensees would still need to inform police if they have a gun in the vehicle.
Prohibit schools and universities from penalizing employees or students who carry a concealed weapon legally.
Specify that state and federal lawmakers can regulate guns – not city and other local officials.
Require police to auction unclaimed or forfeited firearms rather than destroy them.
Would allow the manufacture, sale and possession of brass knuckles, cestus, billy, blackjack, sandbag, switchblade knife, springblade knife, gravity knife or similar weapon.
Gun control advocates were hoping to make enough gains during the elections to make it impossible for pro-2A legislators to advance their agenda. Instead, Republicans expanded their majorities in the House and maintained their majority in the state Senate, which bodes well for the passage of HB 248.
The bill was originally scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, but the hearing itself was pushed back. Still, lawmakers are hoping to have the amended bill out of the House before Thanksgiving, so Ohio gun owners should be contacting their state representatives now to show their support for the legislation.


bearingarms--2020-11-18--Are Racial Tensions Behind Surge In Black Gun Ownership?

Gun ownership is up across the board .
Further , support for gun control is down .
It seems that everyone is going out to buy guns , regardless of any ethnicity or gender .
This is a good thing .
The more gun owners there are , the less support for gun control you tend to find .
While having a gun isn ’ t a guarantee that someone will vote for a particular party , it does mean they ’ re more likely to oppose particular bits of policy like universal background checks or assault weapon bans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns ?
We know many feared civil unrest or increased crime during COVID .
Yet it seems that some are looking at different reasons .
Luther Thompson never thought he ’ d be a gun owner .
But in April , the 41-year-old obtained a concealed carry license and bought his first firearm—a $ 400 Smith & Wesson pistol—after feeling , for the first time , that he was not safe raising a family in the South as a Black man .
“ Down here , it ’ s totally different , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bold with their racism.
” The purchase came two months after a white father and son fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery while the 25-year-old Black man was jogging .
The killing stunned Thompson , a father of five , who lives in Cartersville , Ga. , about 300 miles away from where Arbery was gunned down .
“ I never visualized that it would be this way , ” he says .
Thompson ’ s concerns have only grown since the election , as President Donald Trump refuses to concede and as his supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a stolen election .
On Saturday , thousands of Trump voters protested the election results at a rally in Washington , D.C. , where violent clashes with counter-protesters erupted into the night .
On Monday , the FBI reported the highest number hate crimes in the U.S. in a decade in 2019 , with Black people the most numerous targets of racially-motivated bias crimes .
Sorry , I have to interrupt here for a moment .
Note the bias ?
How Trump supporters “ falsely believe ” the election was stolen ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t care about even acknowledging .
They ’ ve already determined the narrative and they won ’ t allow themselves to be neutral because Orange Man Bad .
“ It makes you feel on higher alert , ” Thompson says .
“ I have to be able to protect my family.
” Amid a record-breaking number of firearm sales , Thompson is among the nearly 6.9 million people in the U.S. who became first-time gun owners this year , according to estimates by the National Shooting Sports Foundation .
The gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 56 % white males during the first six months of 2020 , citing an industry survey of 104 retailers , which tracks with other national demographic surveys done on gun ownership trends .
But there was a 58 % jump in firearm purchases—the highest overall sales increase—among Black men and women , compared with the same period last year .
The survey said 9 % of new gun buyers were Black males and 5 % were Black females .
“ People are becoming very concerned for their personal safety , ” says Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not a concern of just white guys .
That ’ s a universal concern.
” The thing is , I ’ m not sure there ’ s really that much racial tension .
I ’ m a white man living in the South .
While I understand that people like Thompson genuinely fear for their lives , I don ’ t really see a flip side of that around here .
White folks aren ’ t looking at their black neighbors as if they ’ re about to be gutted .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are problems , but while I think what happened to Ahmad Aubery shouldn ’ t have , it wasn ’ t as cut and dried as the media likes to present it .
Aubrey was apparently mucking around where he shouldn ’ t have been and was , indeed , acting suspiciously .
He doesn ’ t look like he was just out for a jog as has been alleged .
That ’ s not excusing people trying to chase after someone with their shotguns and pickup trucks , either .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s motivated by racism , either .
That particular spin has come from the media , which has painted everything as racism and failed to look at any claim skeptically since Trump became president .
I can ’ t help but believe that Thompson may have gotten caught up in much of that .
Now , I ’ m not saying racism doesn ’ t exist , but I do think it ’ s been over-hyped over the last four years .
I mean , how does the same country that elects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly come to hate people solely because of the color of their skin ?
No one has adequately explained that to me .
Then again , these are people who believed all opposition to Obama was due to racism and nothing else .
Regardless , I think a better explanation for why some black men and women are buying guns is that they fear racial tensions , rather than such tensions truly exist .
For me , that ’ s enough reason all on its own .
If you think people who hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm , you ’ d be foolish not to arm yourself .
I just don ’ t know that the issue is as bad as the media has been trying to make it .

Gun ownership is up across the board. Further, support for gun control is down. It seems that everyone is going out to buy guns, regardless of any ethnicity or gender.
This is a good thing. The more gun owners there are, the less support for gun control you tend to find. While having a gun isn’t a guarantee that someone will vote for a particular party, it does mean they’re more likely to oppose particular bits of policy like universal background checks or assault weapon bans.
Hopefully, anyway.
But why are so many people buying guns? We know many feared civil unrest or increased crime during COVID. Yet it seems that some are looking at different reasons.
Luther Thompson never thought he’d be a gun owner. But in April, the 41-year-old obtained a concealed carry license and bought his first firearm—a $400 Smith & Wesson pistol—after feeling, for the first time, that he was not safe raising a family in the South as a Black man. “Down here, it’s totally different,” he says. “They’re bold with their racism.” The purchase came two months after a white father and son fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery while the 25-year-old Black man was jogging. The killing stunned Thompson, a father of five, who lives in Cartersville, Ga., about 300 miles away from where Arbery was gunned down. “I never visualized that it would be this way,” he says. Thompson’s concerns have only grown since the election, as President Donald Trump refuses to concede and as his supporters grow angrier over what they falsely believe was a stolen election. On Saturday, thousands of Trump voters protested the election results at a rally in Washington, D.C., where violent clashes with counter-protesters erupted into the night. On Monday, the FBI reported the highest number hate crimes in the U.S. in a decade in 2019, with Black people the most numerous targets of racially-motivated bias crimes.
Sorry, I have to interrupt here for a moment. Note the bias? How Trump supporters “falsely believe” the election was stolen? There are legitimate questions, which Time doesn’t care about even acknowledging. They’ve already determined the narrative and they won’t allow themselves to be neutral because Orange Man Bad.
Regardless, let’s move on.
“It makes you feel on higher alert,” Thompson says. “I have to be able to protect my family.” Amid a record-breaking number of firearm sales, Thompson is among the nearly 6.9 million people in the U.S. who became first-time gun owners this year, according to estimates by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. The gun trade group said gun buyers were nearly 56% white males during the first six months of 2020, citing an industry survey of 104 retailers, which tracks with other national demographic surveys done on gun ownership trends. But there was a 58% jump in firearm purchases—the highest overall sales increase—among Black men and women, compared with the same period last year. The survey said 9% of new gun buyers were Black males and 5% were Black females. “People are becoming very concerned for their personal safety,” says Foundation spokesman Mark Oliva. “That’s not a concern of just white guys. That’s a universal concern.”
The thing is, I’m not sure there’s really that much racial tension.
I’m a white man living in the South. While I understand that people like Thompson genuinely fear for their lives, I don’t really see a flip side of that around here. White folks aren’t looking at their black neighbors as if they’re about to be gutted.
So what gives?
To be sure, there are problems, but while I think what happened to Ahmad Aubery shouldn’t have, it wasn’t as cut and dried as the media likes to present it. Aubrey was apparently mucking around where he shouldn’t have been and was, indeed, acting suspiciously. He doesn’t look like he was just out for a jog as has been alleged.
That’s not excusing people trying to chase after someone with their shotguns and pickup trucks, either.
Yet we don’t know that it’s motivated by racism, either. That particular spin has come from the media, which has painted everything as racism and failed to look at any claim skeptically since Trump became president. I can’t help but believe that Thompson may have gotten caught up in much of that.
Now, I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, but I do think it’s been over-hyped over the last four years. I mean, how does the same country that elects a black man to the presidency twice suddenly come to hate people solely because of the color of their skin? No one has adequately explained that to me. Then again, these are people who believed all opposition to Obama was due to racism and nothing else.
Regardless, I think a better explanation for why some black men and women are buying guns is that they fear racial tensions, rather than such tensions truly exist.
For me, that’s enough reason all on its own. If you think people who hate you for some idiotic reason mean you harm, you’d be foolish not to arm yourself.
I just don’t know that the issue is as bad as the media has been trying to make it.


bearingarms--2020-11-19--Kyle Rittenhouse Speaks From Jail To WaPo Journalists

I ’ m awfully curious as to how the Washington Post ended up being the media outlet to conduct Kyle Rittenhouse ’ s first interview after his arrest on murder and assault charges in the shootings of three people during riots in Kenosha , Wisconsin , but the liberal paper published details of the paper ’ s conversation with the teenager on Thursday .
Rather than simply publish a transcript or audio of the entire interview , however , the Post only shares a few brief snippets of the conversation , weaving a few of his comments into a broader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We hear Rittenhouse say , for example , that he doesn ’ t have any regrets about having a gun with him on the night of the shootings , telling reporters “ I feel I had to protect myself .
I would have died that night if I hadn ’ t , ” but the Post doesn ’ t share the initial question posed to Rittenhouse or his full answer , though the reporters do note that Rittenhouse ’ s attorneys agreed to the interview only after the paper agreed not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the events that followed .
In the nearly half-hour video produced by the Post , a narrative quickly emerges , and surprisingly , it ’ s not entirely hostile to the 17-year old .
On one side of the story is a “ young gun rights enthusiast , ” and on the other is “ a homeless man with a criminal record who ’ d just been discharged from a psychiatric hospital , ” referring to Joseph Rosenbaum , who was chasing after Rittenhouse along with a number of other individuals when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-defense .
The Post lays out Rosenbaum ’ s criminal history , including the decade spent in prison for child molestation , and notes that Rosenbaum had been arrested on July 18th after allegedly bodyslamming his girlfriend .
A week or so later , Rosenbaum overdosed in front of a Kenosha McDonalds .
After leaving the hospital , Rosenbaum spent three weeks in jail for violating a protective order not to have contact with his girlfriend , and once he was released in late August he headed towards Milwaukee and the Aurora Psychiatric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning of August 25th and made his way back to Kenosha , as Rittenhouse was working with a group of volunteers to clean up some of the destruction and vandalism that had rocked Kenosha the night before .
That evening , Rittenhouse and the friend who originally bought the AR-15 rifle for Rittenhouse headed out towards downtown Kenosha .
Rittenhouse maintains that he and Dominic Black were supposed to be paid for standing guard over a local car dealership , and he told the Post that he was carrying a rifle because “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had guns and God forbid somebody brought a gun to me and decided to shoot me .
I wanted to be protected , which I ended up having to protect myself.
” The Post details the events leading up to the shooting , with video of Rittenhouse offering medical help while Rosenbaum is helping to push a dumpster that had been set ablaze .
At one point the two even pass by each other in a crowd without incident , though Rosenbaum can be seen swinging a chain as he walks away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Video shows Rittenhouse walking with a fire extinguisher in his hand a short time later , heading towards another car lot that had been set ablaze .
Rosenbaum then begins chasing Rittenhouse , and a crowd follows in close behind .
One man in the crowd fires a shot from a handgun into the air as Rosenbaum caught up to Rittenhouse , and eyewitnesses have described Rittenhouse firing as Rosenbaum reached for the rifle .
When asked if he regretting having a gun that night , Kyle Rittenhouse said no , adding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed that evening if he was unarmed .
Even Rosenbaum ’ s girlfriend Kariann Swart , who says she doesn ’ t believe that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense , admits to the Post that she still struggles with why Rosenbaum was in the middle of the riots that night .
The overall piece may surprise gun owners who watch it , because it ’ s not nearly as biased as you ’ d expect from the Washington Post .
I think at least some of that has to do with the facts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotted on various live streams throughout the evening , really did appear to be trying to help others .
He ’ s certainly not ever seen on camera trying to instigate any confrontations .
Rosenbaum , on the other hand , was clearly taking part in the destruction , and appears agitated and angry in some of the footage captured on smartphone cameras in the hours before the shootings took place .
We know that Rosenbaum was leading the charge of a crowd of people chasing Rittenhouse .
We know someone fired a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his gun .
We know that after Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum , as he was again attempting to flee , he fell to the ground and was hit in the head with a skateboard by Anthony Huber , who was in turn shot by Rittenhouse .
In my opinion , the facts of the case truly don ’ t seem to support murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse , regardless of whether you think he should be been standing guard at a business in Kenosha that night .
Even if Rittenhouse was possessing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question ) , did he lose his right to act in self-defense when he was pursued by the mob ?
I ’ ve never understood the decision by prosecutors to charge Rittenhouse with murder , and the Washington Post ‘ s interview with Rittenhouse and their narrative of what happened that night have done nothing to being me any closer to the prosecution ’ s point of view .

I’m awfully curious as to how the Washington Post ended up being the media outlet to conduct Kyle Rittenhouse’s first interview after his arrest on murder and assault charges in the shootings of three people during riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but the liberal paper published details of the paper’s conversation with the teenager on Thursday.
Rather than simply publish a transcript or audio of the entire interview, however, the Post only shares a few brief snippets of the conversation, weaving a few of his comments into a broader story about the shootings in late August.
We hear Rittenhouse say, for example, that he doesn’t have any regrets about having a gun with him on the night of the shootings, telling reporters “I feel I had to protect myself. I would have died that night if I hadn’t,” but the Post doesn’t share the initial question posed to Rittenhouse or his full answer, though the reporters do note that Rittenhouse’s attorneys agreed to the interview only after the paper agreed not to ask any questions about the shooting itself or the events that followed.
In the nearly half-hour video produced by the Post, a narrative quickly emerges, and surprisingly, it’s not entirely hostile to the 17-year old. On one side of the story is a “young gun rights enthusiast,” and on the other is “a homeless man with a criminal record who’d just been discharged from a psychiatric hospital,” referring to Joseph Rosenbaum, who was chasing after Rittenhouse along with a number of other individuals when Rittenhouse fired his rifle, allegedly in self-defense.
The Post lays out Rosenbaum’s criminal history, including the decade spent in prison for child molestation, and notes that Rosenbaum had been arrested on July 18th after allegedly bodyslamming his girlfriend. A week or so later, Rosenbaum overdosed in front of a Kenosha McDonalds. After leaving the hospital, Rosenbaum spent three weeks in jail for violating a protective order not to have contact with his girlfriend, and once he was released in late August he headed towards Milwaukee and the Aurora Psychiatric Hospital.
Rosenbaum was discharged on the morning of August 25th and made his way back to Kenosha, as Rittenhouse was working with a group of volunteers to clean up some of the destruction and vandalism that had rocked Kenosha the night before.
That evening, Rittenhouse and the friend who originally bought the AR-15 rifle for Rittenhouse headed out towards downtown Kenosha. Rittenhouse maintains that he and Dominic Black were supposed to be paid for standing guard over a local car dealership, and he told the Post that he was carrying a rifle because “I was going into a place where people had guns and God forbid somebody brought a gun to me and decided to shoot me. I wanted to be protected, which I ended up having to protect myself.”
The Post details the events leading up to the shooting, with video of Rittenhouse offering medical help while Rosenbaum is helping to push a dumpster that had been set ablaze. At one point the two even pass by each other in a crowd without incident, though Rosenbaum can be seen swinging a chain as he walks away after police briefly broke up the mob.
Video shows Rittenhouse walking with a fire extinguisher in his hand a short time later, heading towards another car lot that had been set ablaze. Rosenbaum then begins chasing Rittenhouse, and a crowd follows in close behind. One man in the crowd fires a shot from a handgun into the air as Rosenbaum caught up to Rittenhouse, and eyewitnesses have described Rittenhouse firing as Rosenbaum reached for the rifle.
When asked if he regretting having a gun that night, Kyle Rittenhouse said no, adding that he believed he would have been killed that evening if he was unarmed. Even Rosenbaum’s girlfriend Kariann Swart, who says she doesn’t believe that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, admits to the Post that she still struggles with why Rosenbaum was in the middle of the riots that night.
“On the other hand, Joe, you shouldn’t have been down there. And that’s the two sides I deal with, like ‘what were you doing?’ I go between being angry to just being sad, but mostly just sad.”
The overall piece may surprise gun owners who watch it, because it’s not nearly as biased as you’d expect from the Washington Post. I think at least some of that has to do with the facts of the case: Rittenhouse, who was spotted on various live streams throughout the evening, really did appear to be trying to help others. He’s certainly not ever seen on camera trying to instigate any confrontations.
Rosenbaum, on the other hand, was clearly taking part in the destruction, and appears agitated and angry in some of the footage captured on smartphone cameras in the hours before the shootings took place. We know that Rosenbaum was leading the charge of a crowd of people chasing Rittenhouse. We know someone fired a shot behind Rittenhouse moments before Rosenbaum reached for his gun. We know that after Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum, as he was again attempting to flee, he fell to the ground and was hit in the head with a skateboard by Anthony Huber, who was in turn shot by Rittenhouse.
In my opinion, the facts of the case truly don’t seem to support murder charges against Kyle Rittenhouse, regardless of whether you think he should be been standing guard at a business in Kenosha that night. Even if Rittenhouse was possessing the rifle illegally (which remains an open question), did he lose his right to act in self-defense when he was pursued by the mob? I’ve never understood the decision by prosecutors to charge Rittenhouse with murder, and the Washington Post‘s interview with Rittenhouse and their narrative of what happened that night have done nothing to being me any closer to the prosecution’s point of view.