bearingarms--2020-08-22--Background Check Delays Affecting More Than 100,000 IL Gun Buyers

On Friday , we reported that more than 130,000 New Jersey residents have applied for government permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights so far this year , which is more than the number of gun permit applications in the state in 2018 and 2019 combined .
Of course it ’ s taking months for local police departments in New Jersey to work through the backlog , and we ’ re seeing even bigger problems and longer delays in other states .
Right now Illinois State Police have a backlog of more than 140,000 FOID card applications , and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be transferred to their new owners as well .
State Rep. Brad Halbrook , R-Shelbyville , said aside from calls about problems with unemployment , his office is flooded with frustrated calls from constituents upset their Second Amendment rights are being infringed upon .
And it ’ s not just gun owners .
“ I got an email from a gun shop owner just a few days ago , there was eight or 10 transactions on there that were 10 days-plus old , ” Halbrook said .
“ That doesn ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that they are intentionally being throttled back on those kinds of things.
” ISP said there ’ s about a seven business day average wait for the FTIP requests to be processed .
In order to buy a gun or ammunition in Illinois , the consumer must have a valid FOID card .
In the first seven months of the year , ISP says it ’ s processed more than 87,000 FOID cards .
But Thursday , state police said there are still 143,000 requests pending that include new applications , renewals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ ve been serious issues with the Illinois State Police taking longer than the 30 days they ’ re allowed under state law to process the applications over the past few years , but the situation has now clearly spiraled out of control , and while I don ’ t know if the ISP are intentionally slowing down background checks for gun buyers ( which you also have to go through when you purchase a gun at retail , even though you ’ ve already gone through a background check to obtain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do know the status quo is completely unacceptable .
“ These are our constitutional rights , our liberties , and they ’ re being infringed upon , ” Halbrook said .
“ I don ’ t care how you shake it out , how you spin it , that ’ s what ’ s happening .
” He said the failings have been going on long before COVID-19 , and something has to be done .
“ So , evidently we have a system that ’ s not working for the people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to say and something has to be done , and it has to be done soon rather than later , ” Halbrook said .
There are multiple lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the FOID card at the moment , and that ’ s probably going to have to be the avenue for change .
The Democrat-controlled legislature seems unlikely to scrap the FOID system , even though it ’ s currently preventing who knows how many good people in bad neighborhoods from being able to purchase a firearm for self-defense because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois State Police take their sweet time processing their application .
In the meantime , the backlog of applications will likely grow longer , as will the time would-be gun owners are forced to wait before they can exercise a constitutionally-protected right .
The Illinois State Police can fail to uphold their duty to process these applications within 30 days without suffering any kind of legal consequence , but the same can ’ t be said for any Illinois resident who decides to go ahead and keep a gun in their home while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be approved .
As Halbrook says , the system is broken , and something indeed needs to be done .

On Friday, we reported that more than 130,000 New Jersey residents have applied for government permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights so far this year, which is more than the number of gun permit applications in the state in 2018 and 2019 combined. Of course it’s taking months for local police departments in New Jersey to work through the backlog, and we’re seeing even bigger problems and longer delays in other states.
Right now Illinois State Police have a backlog of more than 140,000 FOID card applications, and there are also thousands of firearms waiting to be transferred to their new owners as well.
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said aside from calls about problems with unemployment, his office is flooded with frustrated calls from constituents upset their Second Amendment rights are being infringed upon. And it’s not just gun owners. “I got an email from a gun shop owner just a few days ago, there was eight or 10 transactions on there that were 10 days-plus old,” Halbrook said. “That doesn’t really help in times like this. They think that they are intentionally being throttled back on those kinds of things.” ISP said there’s about a seven business day average wait for the FTIP requests to be processed. In order to buy a gun or ammunition in Illinois, the consumer must have a valid FOID card. In the first seven months of the year, ISP says it’s processed more than 87,000 FOID cards. But Thursday, state police said there are still 143,000 requests pending that include new applications, renewals and other requests like address changes.
There’ve been serious issues with the Illinois State Police taking longer than the 30 days they’re allowed under state law to process the applications over the past few years, but the situation has now clearly spiraled out of control, and while I don’t know if the ISP are intentionally slowing down background checks for gun buyers (which you also have to go through when you purchase a gun at retail, even though you’ve already gone through a background check to obtain your FOID card), but I do know the status quo is completely unacceptable.
“These are our constitutional rights, our liberties, and they’re being infringed upon,” Halbrook said. “I don’t care how you shake it out, how you spin it, that’s what’s happening. ” He said the failings have been going on long before COVID-19, and something has to be done. “So, evidently we have a system that’s not working for the people, it’s broken, whatever you want to say and something has to be done, and it has to be done soon rather than later,” Halbrook said.
There are multiple lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the FOID card at the moment, and that’s probably going to have to be the avenue for change. The Democrat-controlled legislature seems unlikely to scrap the FOID system, even though it’s currently preventing who knows how many good people in bad neighborhoods from being able to purchase a firearm for self-defense because they’re stuck in limbo while the Illinois State Police take their sweet time processing their application.
In the meantime, the backlog of applications will likely grow longer, as will the time would-be gun owners are forced to wait before they can exercise a constitutionally-protected right. The Illinois State Police can fail to uphold their duty to process these applications within 30 days without suffering any kind of legal consequence, but the same can’t be said for any Illinois resident who decides to go ahead and keep a gun in their home while they wait for their FOID application to be approved. As Halbrook says, the system is broken, and something indeed needs to be done.


bearingarms--2020-08-22--Anti-Gun FL Ag Commissioner Fundraises Off Trump's Comments

Nikki Fried is in an odd position .
She ’ s the highest-ranking Democrat in the state of Florida .
She ’ s also pretty anti-Second Amendment , which is where the odd position comes in .
After all , as the state Agriculture Commissioner , she ’ s responsible for issuing concealed carry permits in the state .
While state law limits her ability to actually do anything about that fact , it hasn ’ t stopped her from trying .
In particular , she tried to use COVID-19 as an excuse to shut down the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawsuit .
Fried ’ s actions were inexcusable .
As a result , she was recently denounced by President Donald Trump .
Now , she ’ s using that denunciation for fundraising purposes .
Nikki Fried , Florida ’ s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services , had a limited speaking role Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention .
But the first-term member of the Florida Cabinet is making it count , especially in light of President Donald Trump ‘ s denunciation of her and other speakers in a tandem “ keynote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party .
Trump took task with what he called the “ radical 17 , ” saying they held “ far-left positions that are well outside of the mainstream.
” Fried , the President claimed , is a gun-grabber just like the Democratic nominee .
She “ opposes Second Amendment rights .
It ’ s no wonder she supports Joe Biden , who says he will come for Americans ’ guns , ” the President blogged .
Which , of course , is true .
I mean , we can see the evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut down the operations she did .
She used COVID-19 as an excuse and everyone knows it , even her allies .
They just agree with her .
So now , Fried is trying to collect on her new notoriety .
The Commissioner ’ s response , delivered in the form of a fundraising pitch from her “ Florida Consumers First ” political committee , is that the President “ attacked ” her .
“ It ’ s time to fight back .
When Trump attacked me , he attacked all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , $ 40.00 , or $ 60.00 to help us defend against his childish insults ?
” I don ’ t blame her for trying to cash in .
She ’ s going to need everything she can muster if she wants to remain in office .
However , it ’ s important to note that Trump took Florida in 2016 .
Additionally , Fried is the only Democrat for state-wide office who won .
She needs to remember that she was campaigning against a terrible candidate and so many of her votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not for her .
In other words , Florida is a very Republican state .
Taking a hard anti-Trump stand may not be the best strategy for longevity in her office .
Sure , she ’ ll have the power of incumbency , but that only goes so far .
Don ’ t be surprised if Fried ends up looking for a job come January regardless of how well her fundraising efforts go .
The truth is , she ’ s an anti-gun jihadist who is in charge of a state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know she ’ d try to find some way to interfere with people ’ s right to keep and bear arms and she ’ s done everything she can think of .
The president was right to call her out .

Nikki Fried is in an odd position. She’s the highest-ranking Democrat in the state of Florida. She’s also pretty anti-Second Amendment, which is where the odd position comes in. After all, as the state Agriculture Commissioner, she’s responsible for issuing concealed carry permits in the state.
While state law limits her ability to actually do anything about that fact, it hasn’t stopped her from trying. In particular, she tried to use COVID-19 as an excuse to shut down the state’s online permit renewal site. That sparked a lawsuit.
Fried’s actions were inexcusable. As a result, she was recently denounced by President Donald Trump.
Now, she’s using that denunciation for fundraising purposes.
Nikki Fried, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, had a limited speaking role Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention. But the first-term member of the Florida Cabinet is making it count, especially in light of President Donald Trump‘s denunciation of her and other speakers in a tandem “keynote speech” featuring other rising figures in the party. Trump took task with what he called the “radical 17,” saying they held “far-left positions that are well outside of the mainstream.” Fried, the President claimed, is a gun-grabber just like the Democratic nominee. She “opposes Second Amendment rights. It’s no wonder she supports Joe Biden, who says he will come for Americans’ guns,” the President blogged.
Which, of course, is true.
I mean, we can see the evidence right there. There was no reason to shut down the operations she did. She used COVID-19 as an excuse and everyone knows it, even her allies. They just agree with her.
So now, Fried is trying to collect on her new notoriety.
The Commissioner’s response, delivered in the form of a fundraising pitch from her “Florida Consumers First” political committee, is that the President “attacked” her. “It’s time to fight back. When Trump attacked me, he attacked all of us — can you give $20.00, $40.00, or $60.00 to help us defend against his childish insults?”
I don’t blame her for trying to cash in. She’s going to need everything she can muster if she wants to remain in office.
However, it’s important to note that Trump took Florida in 2016. Additionally, Fried is the only Democrat for state-wide office who won. She needs to remember that she was campaigning against a terrible candidate and so many of her votes were votes against the other guy, not for her.
In other words, Florida is a very Republican state. Taking a hard anti-Trump stand may not be the best strategy for longevity in her office.
Sure, she’ll have the power of incumbency, but that only goes so far. Don’t be surprised if Fried ends up looking for a job come January regardless of how well her fundraising efforts go.
The truth is, she’s an anti-gun jihadist who is in charge of a state’s carry permit system. We had to know she’d try to find some way to interfere with people’s right to keep and bear arms and she’s done everything she can think of.
The president was right to call her out.


bearingarms--2020-08-23--Arkansas AG Rips New York Counterpart Over Attempt To Dissolve NRA

Kudos to NBC News for actually publishing a pro-Second Amendment take by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge , who pulls no punches in a fiery condemnation of the current attacks by Democrats on the right to keep and bear arms ; from the Biden/Harris campaign ’ s anti-gun agenda to New York Attorney General Letitia James ’ lawsuit to dissolve the NRA .
Rutledge says that at a time when Americans are embracing their Second Amendment rights in record numbers , Democrats are making it clear that they want to write the Second Amendment out of the Constitution .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they believe it is antiquated and unnecessary , and have assured us they can protect us better than we can protect ourselves .
But in a time of crisis , many of them have revealed that they won ’ t actually use law enforcement and even support defunding the agencies that protect and serve all communities .
Now they are attacking a private organization that ’ s trying to do the same .
Just three months before a presidential election , New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed suit against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership , seeking to have the gun rights organization dissolved .
This lawsuit , filed in New York state court , is the apex of a longstanding feud between the NRA and the Democratic state attorney general .
James attacked the NRA while she was a candidate for attorney general , calling it a “ terrorist organization ” and a “ criminal enterprise.
” Rutledge says New York ’ s AG has the right and a duty to investigate claims of fraud and corruption at the NRA , since the organization is chartered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arkansas Attorney General argues that her colleague ’ s attempt to dissolve the NRA “ speaks volumes about her real motives.
” As state attorneys general , we are tasked with protecting the interests of consumers and holding bad actors accountable .
Since the NRA is based in New York , James ’ office has the jurisdiction to investigate this organization , like any other charity or nonprofit .
But while the lawsuit alleges that NRA leadership misused the organization ’ s funds for their own personal gain , no NRA executives have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James has threatened criminal charges pending the outcome of her office ’ s investigation .
Moreover , James doesn ’ t seem to be too worried about protecting the interests of the “ consumer ” : those who are NRA members .
If successful , the lawsuit could permanently bar the strongest Second Amendment advocate from raising funds for its cause and ultimately dissolve the multimillion member organization .
Instead of holding the alleged bad actors accountable , James seems to believe she has found a way to finally rid the left of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , possibly , its least favorite constitutional amendment .
That last point by Rutledge is absolutely key .
If James were really interested in the best interest of NRA members , as she claimed when she announced her civil suit against the organization , she wouldn ’ t be trying to kill it off .
Even critics of the Second Amendment organization like Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post say it ’ s a mistake for James to attempt to dissolve the NRA entirely .
The NRA has a First Amendment right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Forcing its dissolution has disturbing implications — made even more disturbing by the fact that the attorney general seeking that step is a Democrat who vowed during her campaign to “ take on the NRA ” and labeled it a “ terrorist organization.
” In this country , we don ’ t go after entities because of what they advocate .
Marcus sees the danger of where James ’ witch hunt would lead .
Based on her previous comments , it ’ s clear that James didn ’ t go into her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind .
She started her investigation with the intention of destroying it .
If she ’ s successful at doing so , the First Amendment would suffer as much as the Second .
There ’ s also the fact that red-state AGs would inevitably start to target left-wing non-profits for the same destruction that James wants to impose on the NRA , and non-profits on both sides of the aisle would likely be dismantled in a legal war of attrition .
Even if you don ’ t like the NRA , that should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled her investigation with professionalism , but instead , she ’ s clearly engaged in a political fight to destroy the NRA while claiming she ’ s doing so to protect its members .

Kudos to NBC News for actually publishing a pro-Second Amendment take by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who pulls no punches in a fiery condemnation of the current attacks by Democrats on the right to keep and bear arms; from the Biden/Harris campaign’s anti-gun agenda to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit to dissolve the NRA. Rutledge says that at a time when Americans are embracing their Second Amendment rights in record numbers, Democrats are making it clear that they want to write the Second Amendment out of the Constitution.
The left has long attacked the Second Amendment, as they believe it is antiquated and unnecessary, and have assured us they can protect us better than we can protect ourselves. But in a time of crisis, many of them have revealed that they won’t actually use law enforcement and even support defunding the agencies that protect and serve all communities. Now they are attacking a private organization that’s trying to do the same. Just three months before a presidential election, New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed suit against the NRA and several members of its leadership, seeking to have the gun rights organization dissolved. This lawsuit, filed in New York state court, is the apex of a longstanding feud between the NRA and the Democratic state attorney general. James attacked the NRA while she was a candidate for attorney general, calling it a “terrorist organization” and a “criminal enterprise.”
Rutledge says New York’s AG has the right and a duty to investigate claims of fraud and corruption at the NRA, since the organization is chartered in New York. Still, the Arkansas Attorney General argues that her colleague’s attempt to dissolve the NRA “speaks volumes about her real motives.”
As state attorneys general, we are tasked with protecting the interests of consumers and holding bad actors accountable. Since the NRA is based in New York, James’ office has the jurisdiction to investigate this organization, like any other charity or nonprofit. But while the lawsuit alleges that NRA leadership misused the organization’s funds for their own personal gain, no NRA executives have been charged with any crimes, though James has threatened criminal charges pending the outcome of her office’s investigation. Moreover, James doesn’t seem to be too worried about protecting the interests of the “consumer”: those who are NRA members. If successful, the lawsuit could permanently bar the strongest Second Amendment advocate from raising funds for its cause and ultimately dissolve the multimillion member organization. Instead of holding the alleged bad actors accountable, James seems to believe she has found a way to finally rid the left of one of its greatest political adversaries — and, possibly, its least favorite constitutional amendment.
That last point by Rutledge is absolutely key. If James were really interested in the best interest of NRA members, as she claimed when she announced her civil suit against the organization, she wouldn’t be trying to kill it off. Even critics of the Second Amendment organization like Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post say it’s a mistake for James to attempt to dissolve the NRA entirely.
The NRA has a First Amendment right to its misguided understanding of the Second. Forcing its dissolution has disturbing implications — made even more disturbing by the fact that the attorney general seeking that step is a Democrat who vowed during her campaign to “take on the NRA” and labeled it a “terrorist organization.” In this country, we don’t go after entities because of what they advocate.
Marcus sees the danger of where James’ witch hunt would lead. Based on her previous comments, it’s clear that James didn’t go into her investigation into the NRA with an open mind. She started her investigation with the intention of destroying it. If she’s successful at doing so, the First Amendment would suffer as much as the Second. There’s also the fact that red-state AGs would inevitably start to target left-wing non-profits for the same destruction that James wants to impose on the NRA, and non-profits on both sides of the aisle would likely be dismantled in a legal war of attrition. Even if you don’t like the NRA, that should worry you. Letitia James could have handled her investigation with professionalism, but instead, she’s clearly engaged in a political fight to destroy the NRA while claiming she’s doing so to protect its members.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Riots, Election Among Reasons Many Women Are Buying Guns

A lot of people are buying guns and have been for months now .
Ever since it became clear that COVID-19 had hit our shores , people have been buying firearms .
There are a number of reasons why , of course .
While COVID-19 and concerns related to that might have been an early driver ; since then we ’ ve seen plenty of other reasons to buy a gun .
However , a lot of our understanding has been based on speculation and anecdote , which isn ’ t hard data .
Luckily , the folks at A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done a little digging to quantify things a bit .
In July 2020 A Girl & A Gun conducted a survey of more than 6,000 members to specifically focus on women ’ s reasons and interests .
Results showed that 43 % of women joined AG & AG to practice self-defense skills , and 92 % were in the process of obtaining or already have acquired their concealed or open carry permits .
This complemented the NSSF survey data that 25 % of first-time buyers had already taken some form of firearms safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a firearms safety course in the near future .
In alignment with retailers ’ sales , AG & AG also saw an influx of new memberships .
In July 2020 , memberships were up 150 % over the previous year .
A survey showed that 40 % of respondents had been involved in firearms training for less than one year , and more than half involved for five years or less .
A follow-up survey of new first-time gun owners asked specifically what spurred them into seeking firearms training .
Results showed : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unrest 12 % Upcoming elections/concern of bans 12 % Urged by family member/friend 8 % Just learned about training opportunities 8 % New firearm in household 8 % Lack of law enforcement resources 7 % Pandemic/uncertainty of access to essentials 7 % Fear of targeted violence/discrimination 7 % Rising unemployment/fear of crime 6 % Recent safety/crime experience 4 % Quarantine boredom/try something fun 3 % Ammo shortage/concern of waiting 3 % Stimulus check provided opportunity They also found that a lot of women weren ’ t just buying guns , but taking advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news .
However , in the name of fairness , we also need to note a couple of shortcomings of this survey .
In particular , there is a sampling bias here .
The survey really just shows why AG & AG members bought guns , which may or may not be reflective of society as a whole .
These women were possibly more likely to purchase a gun in the first place than many other women , for example .
Still , I ’ m of the belief that if this isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many women have purchased firearms this year , it ’ s a damn close approximation .
This at least fits with the anecdotal data I ’ ve seen over the last six months or so and , as such , it ’ s probably fairly representative .
We know there are a lot of women out there who are buying guns , and now we have a glimpse as to why .
That makes me wonder just how much of this current trend will impact the coming election .
After all , women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians who push anti-gun policies .
If more and more women do become active gun owners and Second Amendment supporters , will that be enough to sway these politicians to drop the anti-gun rhetoric ?
Or , will it result in them being trounced in the election ?

A lot of people are buying guns and have been for months now. Ever since it became clear that COVID-19 had hit our shores, people have been buying firearms. There are a number of reasons why, of course. While COVID-19 and concerns related to that might have been an early driver; since then we’ve seen plenty of other reasons to buy a gun.
However, a lot of our understanding has been based on speculation and anecdote, which isn’t hard data.
Luckily, the folks at A Girl and A Gun Shooting League have done a little digging to quantify things a bit.
In July 2020 A Girl & A Gun conducted a survey of more than 6,000 members to specifically focus on women’s reasons and interests. Results showed that 43% of women joined AG & AG to practice self-defense skills, and 92% were in the process of obtaining or already have acquired their concealed or open carry permits. This complemented the NSSF survey data that 25% of first-time buyers had already taken some form of firearms safety course and 63% inquired about taking a firearms safety course in the near future. In alignment with retailers’ sales, AG & AG also saw an influx of new memberships. In July 2020, memberships were up 150% over the previous year. A survey showed that 40% of respondents had been involved in firearms training for less than one year, and more than half involved for five years or less. A follow-up survey of new first-time gun owners asked specifically what spurred them into seeking firearms training. Results showed: 14% Riots/fear of mobs and civil unrest
12% Upcoming elections/concern of bans
12% Urged by family member/friend
8% Just learned about training opportunities
8% New firearm in household
8% Lack of law enforcement resources
7% Pandemic/uncertainty of access to essentials
7% Fear of targeted violence/discrimination
7% Rising unemployment/fear of crime
6% Recent safety/crime experience
4% Quarantine boredom/try something fun
3% Ammo shortage/concern of waiting
3% Stimulus check provided opportunity
They also found that a lot of women weren’t just buying guns, but taking advantage of training opportunities, which is good news.
However, in the name of fairness, we also need to note a couple of shortcomings of this survey. In particular, there is a sampling bias here. The survey really just shows why AG&AG members bought guns, which may or may not be reflective of society as a whole. These women were possibly more likely to purchase a gun in the first place than many other women, for example.
Still, I’m of the belief that if this isn’t an exact breakdown of why many women have purchased firearms this year, it’s a damn close approximation. This at least fits with the anecdotal data I’ve seen over the last six months or so and, as such, it’s probably fairly representative.
We know there are a lot of women out there who are buying guns, and now we have a glimpse as to why. That makes me wonder just how much of this current trend will impact the coming election. After all, women are a big demographic for the same politicians who push anti-gun policies. If more and more women do become active gun owners and Second Amendment supporters, will that be enough to sway these politicians to drop the anti-gun rhetoric?
Or, will it result in them being trounced in the election?
Hat tip: Guns.com


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Teen Arrested After Using A Dating App To Target Gay Men In Shootings

Police in Waco , Texas have charged a 17-year old in connection with a string of shootings one week ago that left one man dead and two others injured .
Damarion Trammell Degrate was arrested by authorities late last week , several days after officials asked the public for help in identifying the suspect as well as urging social media users to be cautious when meeting strangers .
Degrate allegedly used a dating app to find his targets , according to the Waco PD .
“ We identified early in the investigation a link between the three shootings and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said interim chief of police , Frank Gentsch on the department ’ s Facebook page .
“ The arrest today was the result of our special crimes detectives ’ tireless efforts , along with our support staff , including our crime scene unit and computer forensic unit .
I also want to thank the FBI and the United States Marshal Service for their assistance in these cases.
” Degrate stands accused of murdering 23-year old Jonathan Breeding , as well as attempted murder charge for a second shooting .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Degrate to the third shooting , though police have indicated it too involved a meetup after an online connection .
The Waco Tribune-Herald has a timeline of the three shootings , all of which happened within hours of each other .
While police haven ’ t announced any motivation for the shootings , it doesn ’ t sound like any of the victims were robbed , nor is Degrate currently facing any robbery charges .
Instead , it looks like the men may have been targeted because of their sexuality .
It will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine if Degrate will face hate crime enhancements in the shootings , and we ’ ll likely learn the prosecutor ’ s decision sometime this week .
In their announcement of Degrate ’ s arrest , Waco reminded the public , especially members of the LGBTQ+ community , to first meet up with your Internet hookup in a public place .
That makes sense , but it ’ s obviously not going to prevent every kind of attack .
I ’ d go a step further and say that if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least be aware that it could end badly and be prepared to act in self-defense if necessary .
I don ’ t think the Pink Pistols has an official chapter just for Waco , but the group ’ s website does list a central Texas chapter , and I suspect they ’ ve been getting quite a few calls over the past few days from people wanting to know more about buying and using a gun for self-defense .
Granted , it ’ s been a couple of decades since I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but if you ’ re a concealed carry holder , I see nothing wrong with lawfully carrying when you ’ re meeting someone for the first time .
If you ’ re not a gun owner , or are reluctant to go strapped on your first date , consider less-lethal options like a stun gun or pepper spray .
From alleged rapes to armed robberies , there ’ ve been plenty of reports recently of individuals using dating or hook-up apps to find their victims .
Swipe right all you like , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practicing safe sex .

Police in Waco, Texas have charged a 17-year old in connection with a string of shootings one week ago that left one man dead and two others injured. Damarion Trammell Degrate was arrested by authorities late last week, several days after officials asked the public for help in identifying the suspect as well as urging social media users to be cautious when meeting strangers. Degrate allegedly used a dating app to find his targets, according to the Waco PD.
“We identified early in the investigation a link between the three shootings and the danger this suspect presented to our community,” said interim chief of police, Frank Gentsch on the department’s Facebook page. “The arrest today was the result of our special crimes detectives’ tireless efforts, along with our support staff, including our crime scene unit and computer forensic unit. I also want to thank the FBI and the United States Marshal Service for their assistance in these cases.”
Degrate stands accused of murdering 23-year old Jonathan Breeding, as well as attempted murder charge for a second shooting. It’s unclear whether police have officially connected Degrate to the third shooting, though police have indicated it too involved a meetup after an online connection. The Waco Tribune-Herald has a timeline of the three shootings, all of which happened within hours of each other.
Degrate is accused of shooting a man at about 12:30 a.m. Monday in the Brookview neighborhood, Mottley said. The man fled to a corner store near North 23rd Street and Grim Avenue seeking help, police have previously said. About two hours after the first shooting, police responded to a call at 34th Street and Brook Circle and found Jonathan Breeding, 23, in his vehicle with a gunshot wound. Breeding later died at a local hospital. Police responded to another call at about 6 a.m. and found a third man with a gunshot wound near North 36th Street and Grim Avenue.
While police haven’t announced any motivation for the shootings, it doesn’t sound like any of the victims were robbed, nor is Degrate currently facing any robbery charges. Instead, it looks like the men may have been targeted because of their sexuality. It will be up to the local prosecutor to determine if Degrate will face hate crime enhancements in the shootings, and we’ll likely learn the prosecutor’s decision sometime this week.
In their announcement of Degrate’s arrest, Waco reminded the public, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community, to first meet up with your Internet hookup in a public place. That makes sense, but it’s obviously not going to prevent every kind of attack. I’d go a step further and say that if you’re meeting an Internet stranger, you should at least be aware that it could end badly and be prepared to act in self-defense if necessary. I don’t think the Pink Pistols has an official chapter just for Waco, but the group’s website does list a central Texas chapter, and I suspect they’ve been getting quite a few calls over the past few days from people wanting to know more about buying and using a gun for self-defense.
Granted, it’s been a couple of decades since I’ve been on the dating scene, but if you’re a concealed carry holder, I see nothing wrong with lawfully carrying when you’re meeting someone for the first time. If you’re not a gun owner, or are reluctant to go strapped on your first date, consider less-lethal options like a stun gun or pepper spray. From alleged rapes to armed robberies, there’ve been plenty of reports recently of individuals using dating or hook-up apps to find their victims. Swipe right all you like, but remember that personal protection goes beyond just practicing safe sex.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Wake County, NC Issues More Than 5,100 Permits Over Two Weeks

Over and over again , we see and hear a lot about how there are more new gun owners floating around .
Ask the guy at your favorite gun store who is buying most of the guns and the chances are good that they ’ ll tell you they ’ re new people .
It ’ s still difficult to comprehend just how much of a surge in gun ownership we ’ re seeing right now .
In Wake County , North Carolina , they ’ re finding that a lot of people aren ’ t just new gun owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to carry at an insane rate .
The Wake County Sheriff ’ s Office has brought in at least five extra workers to help process “ historic ” levels of pistol permit applications , officials said Friday .
A lawsuit was filed earlier this month , claiming Wake County and Sheriff Gerald Baker are breaking the law by not issuing gun permits within 14 days .
At a news conference Friday , deputies said they expanding work hours and bringing in more staff to help process the applications .
“ We are averaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did in 2019 .
We are also about 16,000 more approved and out the door than in 2018 , ” said Wake County Sheriff ’ s Office Lt. Scott Sefton .
Sefton said 5,111 permits were issued in just the last two weeks .
“ That is just historic — is has never been done before , ” Sefton said .
To be sure , that ’ s an impressive number of permits .
Especially in Wake County , which has a little over 1.1 million people .
However , that doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can sympathize with the department being quite busy issuing permits , the law is quite clear .
Baker and his department have been hammered repeatedly over their failure to keep up with demand for the permits .
More than 5,100 permits in two weeks is an excellent start , but I suspect much of that is playing catch-up .
That said , holy crap that ’ s a lot of permits being issued .
If there were just 5,100+ permits in all Wake County , I ’ d be disappointed , but over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just how nervous people are right now , which is unsurprising .
A pandemic , a potential economic downturn , a contentious presidential election , and massive civil unrest all create a cocktail for very nervous people , regardless .
It ’ s one thing to buy a gun , but quite another to carry one .
Then again , people have seen enough examples of extreme violence at so-called “ most peaceful ” protests that I ’ m not surprised many of them are getting permits .
They ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves in a bad position .
I don ’ t blame them in the least .
The question now becomes whether or not the lawsuit will continue .
While I can ’ t say for certain , my guess is that it ’ ll continue at least until Baker and his office is in full compliance with the law .
Don ’ t get me wrong , 5,111 permits is impressive , but it never should have gotten to this point in the first place .
Baker should have stepped up his office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet the law ’ s requirements .
He didn ’ t , so now he has a lawsuit to deal with on top if the surge in permit applications .
I fail to feel any pity for the sheriff .

Over and over again, we see and hear a lot about how there are more new gun owners floating around. Ask the guy at your favorite gun store who is buying most of the guns and the chances are good that they’ll tell you they’re new people.
It’s still difficult to comprehend just how much of a surge in gun ownership we’re seeing right now.
In Wake County, North Carolina, they’re finding that a lot of people aren’t just new gun owners, they’re also getting permits to carry at an insane rate.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office has brought in at least five extra workers to help process “historic” levels of pistol permit applications, officials said Friday. A lawsuit was filed earlier this month, claiming Wake County and Sheriff Gerald Baker are breaking the law by not issuing gun permits within 14 days. At a news conference Friday, deputies said they expanding work hours and bringing in more staff to help process the applications. “We are averaging about 16,000 more applications approved than we did in 2019. We are also about 16,000 more approved and out the door than in 2018,” said Wake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Scott Sefton. Sefton said 5,111 permits were issued in just the last two weeks. “That is just historic — is has never been done before,” Sefton said.
To be sure, that’s an impressive number of permits. Especially in Wake County, which has a little over 1.1 million people.
However, that doesn’t change the law. While I can sympathize with the department being quite busy issuing permits, the law is quite clear. Baker and his department have been hammered repeatedly over their failure to keep up with demand for the permits. More than 5,100 permits in two weeks is an excellent start, but I suspect much of that is playing catch-up.
That said, holy crap that’s a lot of permits being issued.
If there were just 5,100+ permits in all Wake County, I’d be disappointed, but over just two weeks? That tells us just how nervous people are right now, which is unsurprising. A pandemic, a potential economic downturn, a contentious presidential election, and massive civil unrest all create a cocktail for very nervous people, regardless.
It’s one thing to buy a gun, but quite another to carry one. Then again, people have seen enough examples of extreme violence at so-called “most peaceful” protests that I’m not surprised many of them are getting permits. They’re going to carry their guns in case they find themselves in a bad position. I don’t blame them in the least.
The question now becomes whether or not the lawsuit will continue. While I can’t say for certain, my guess is that it’ll continue at least until Baker and his office is in full compliance with the law.
Don’t get me wrong, 5,111 permits is impressive, but it never should have gotten to this point in the first place. Baker should have stepped up his office’s efforts earlier so as to meet the law’s requirements. He didn’t, so now he has a lawsuit to deal with on top if the surge in permit applications.
I fail to feel any pity for the sheriff.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Why A Ban On Online Private Gun Sales Is Nearly Impossible To Enforce

Private gun sales are banned from most social media platforms , including Facebook , but a new Wall Street Journal story shows just how difficult it can be to proactively enforce the ban , given the creative ways that users have found to get around the edict .
According to the WSJ , would-be gun sellers are now posting pictures of stickers for sale alongside a gun company logo .
Interested buyers are encouraged to contact the seller for more info , and that ’ s when the talk can turn from stickers to sidearms .
One seller in Amory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glock Ges.m.b.H.
, an Austrian maker of semiautomatic handguns , describing his item as a “ 0.40 sticker , ” for $ 450 .
He also posted “ PM for info , ” a shorthand way of asking interested parties to send a private message via the Facebook Marketplace platform for more information .
When contacted by the Journal , the seller said he was actually selling a Glock .40-caliber pistol .
Another seller in Beech Grove , Tenn. , advertised a “ Great little sticker 22 inches ” for $ 300 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Savage Arms Inc. , a gun maker based in Westfield , Mass .
Over a private message , he sent photos of a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle .
Two other posters , contacted by the Journal , confirmed they were selling firearms , not stickers .
Those are some pretty blatant examples of folks who aren ’ t trying too hard to disguise their intentions .
You might have been able to get away with selling toilet paper for $ 450 earlier this year , but not a sticker .
How many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more subtlety and finesse ?
It ’ s quite literally impossible to know , but I ’ m guessing that for every idiot advertising a sticker for hundreds of dollars , there ’ s at least one more user who ’ s more low-key in their sales pitch .
The private sale of firearms is legal in the U.S. , and while sales across state lines are meant to be funneled through licensed gun dealers , prosecutions are rare when they aren ’ t .
People barred from owning guns , due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to online exchanges and social-media sites to avoid background checks when making a transaction .
Like the rest of the site , Facebook ’ s Marketplace platform uses a combination of artificial-intelligence algorithms and human moderators to weed out posts that violate its policies , such as ads for guns , drugs or animals , the company says .
Last year , in response to the Journal ’ s reporting on guns being marketed as boxes or cases , a group of 15 Democratic senators , including now-vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it polices gun sales on Marketplace .
Facebook responded to the senators ’ questions in a letter saying it was building new tools to better detect bad behavior , and increasing its team of people who reviewed listings on its Marketplace .
Sen. Bob Menendez ( D. , N.J. ) , who spearheaded the government ’ s inquiry , said the continued gun sales suggested Facebook ’ s reviewers were doing a “ lousy job.
” Anti-gun politicians rarely let practicality or common sense stand between them and their anti-gun agenda , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing enough to crack down on the sales fails to acknowledge one simple fact : the illicit market will always find a way .
People are also using Facebook to sell illicit drugs , for example , often employing the same strategy of using code words to try to get around both Facebook policy and federal law , though in some cases sellers were brazen enough to employ hashtags like # buydrugsonline ( which I suppose is the drug dealer ’ s version of being dumb enough to advertise a sticker for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to tweak their algorithm to automatically flag sticker sales that include a price of more than , say , $ 20 , but the sellers would likely just stop including a price in their posting .
What does Facebook do then ?
Stop all sales of stickers ?
The sellers would simply find a new code word .
You ’ d probably start seeing ads for Glockenspiels or SIG-natures from famous people like John Moses Browning instead of offers for really expensive stickers , but the illicit market would remain .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t a position that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook can take publicly .
To be seen as good corporate stewards , they need to be seen as doing something to ensure compliance with their policies .
As much as I ’ d love for Facebook to go full-Libertarian and drop all their rules on advertising , that ’ s simply not going to happen .
There is something that the tech titan could do , however , that would be practical , even if it didn ’ t eliminate the illicit market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do is rescind the current policy that bars firearm retailers from advertising .
If people are using the platform to find guns , as is clearly the case , Facebook could nudge those would-be buyers towards retail establishments where background checks are performed while reducing the demand for private sales .
In conjunction with that policy shift , Zuckerberg announce that 100 % of advertising revenue from firearm retailers will be devoted to improving the company ’ s policing of its policy barring private gun sales .
Now , all the problems I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the company hires more humans to scan and screen ads , it could at least make it a little more difficult to conduct the private transfers .
The black market will always be there , no matter what policies Facebook or the federal government choose to put in place .
The anti-gun bloviating from people like Sen. Menendez and Kamala Harris may make for good soundbites , but they ignore a fundamental understanding of how markets work ( not to mention how many Americans want to own a gun ) .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media platform is inevitably , though unwittingly , pushing its users towards the private market .
The answer isn ’ t to double down on an anti-gun mentality , but to recognize the legitimate reasons why many Facebook users want to exercise their Second Amendment rights and to actually help them to do so .

Private gun sales are banned from most social media platforms, including Facebook, but a new Wall Street Journal story shows just how difficult it can be to proactively enforce the ban, given the creative ways that users have found to get around the edict.
According to the WSJ, would-be gun sellers are now posting pictures of stickers for sale alongside a gun company logo. Interested buyers are encouraged to contact the seller for more info, and that’s when the talk can turn from stickers to sidearms.
One seller in Amory, Miss., posted the logo for Glock Ges.m.b.H., an Austrian maker of semiautomatic handguns, describing his item as a “0.40 sticker,” for $450. He also posted “PM for info,” a shorthand way of asking interested parties to send a private message via the Facebook Marketplace platform for more information. When contacted by the Journal, the seller said he was actually selling a Glock .40-caliber pistol. Another seller in Beech Grove, Tenn., advertised a “Great little sticker 22 inches” for $300, next to an image of the logo for Savage Arms Inc., a gun maker based in Westfield, Mass. Over a private message, he sent photos of a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle. Two other posters, contacted by the Journal, confirmed they were selling firearms, not stickers.
Those are some pretty blatant examples of folks who aren’t trying too hard to disguise their intentions. You might have been able to get away with selling toilet paper for $450 earlier this year, but not a sticker. How many other would-be sellers are using the platform with more subtlety and finesse? It’s quite literally impossible to know, but I’m guessing that for every idiot advertising a sticker for hundreds of dollars, there’s at least one more user who’s more low-key in their sales pitch.
The private sale of firearms is legal in the U.S., and while sales across state lines are meant to be funneled through licensed gun dealers, prosecutions are rare when they aren’t. People barred from owning guns, due to state or federal restrictions, can turn to online exchanges and social-media sites to avoid background checks when making a transaction. Like the rest of the site, Facebook’s Marketplace platform uses a combination of artificial-intelligence algorithms and human moderators to weed out posts that violate its policies, such as ads for guns, drugs or animals, the company says. Last year, in response to the Journal’s reporting on guns being marketed as boxes or cases, a group of 15 Democratic senators, including now-vice-presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, wrote to Facebook demanding information on how it polices gun sales on Marketplace. Facebook responded to the senators’ questions in a letter saying it was building new tools to better detect bad behavior, and increasing its team of people who reviewed listings on its Marketplace. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), who spearheaded the government’s inquiry, said the continued gun sales suggested Facebook’s reviewers were doing a “lousy job.”
Anti-gun politicians rarely let practicality or common sense stand between them and their anti-gun agenda, but their objections that Facebook isn’t doing enough to crack down on the sales fails to acknowledge one simple fact: the illicit market will always find a way. People are also using Facebook to sell illicit drugs, for example, often employing the same strategy of using code words to try to get around both Facebook policy and federal law, though in some cases sellers were brazen enough to employ hashtags like #buydrugsonline (which I suppose is the drug dealer’s version of being dumb enough to advertise a sticker for $450).
Sure, Facebook could try to tweak their algorithm to automatically flag sticker sales that include a price of more than, say, $20, but the sellers would likely just stop including a price in their posting. What does Facebook do then? Stop all sales of stickers? The sellers would simply find a new code word. You’d probably start seeing ads for Glockenspiels or SIG-natures from famous people like John Moses Browning instead of offers for really expensive stickers, but the illicit market would remain.
I realize, of course, that this isn’t a position that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook can take publicly. To be seen as good corporate stewards, they need to be seen as doing something to ensure compliance with their policies. As much as I’d love for Facebook to go full-Libertarian and drop all their rules on advertising, that’s simply not going to happen. There is something that the tech titan could do, however, that would be practical, even if it didn’t eliminate the illicit market completely.
The first thing Zuckerberg should do is rescind the current policy that bars firearm retailers from advertising. If people are using the platform to find guns, as is clearly the case, Facebook could nudge those would-be buyers towards retail establishments where background checks are performed while reducing the demand for private sales.
In conjunction with that policy shift, Zuckerberg announce that 100% of advertising revenue from firearm retailers will be devoted to improving the company’s policing of its policy barring private gun sales. Now, all the problems I outlined above will still exist, but if the company hires more humans to scan and screen ads, it could at least make it a little more difficult to conduct the private transfers.
The black market will always be there, no matter what policies Facebook or the federal government choose to put in place. The anti-gun bloviating from people like Sen. Menendez and Kamala Harris may make for good soundbites, but they ignore a fundamental understanding of how markets work (not to mention how many Americans want to own a gun). By banning ads for firearm retailers, the social media platform is inevitably, though unwittingly, pushing its users towards the private market. The answer isn’t to double down on an anti-gun mentality, but to recognize the legitimate reasons why many Facebook users want to exercise their Second Amendment rights and to actually help them to do so.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Activist Nails It: It's Not the Police, "It's Us"

Despite the prevalence of “ Black Lives Matter ” as part of the social framework these days , a whole lot of black people–particularly young black men–are dying .
They ’ re being murdered at an incredible rate and have been ever since the riots kicked off following the death of George Floyd .
Yet there ’ s an important point to remember , and that is that the murders aren ’ t on the hands of police officers .
Oh no , they ’ re not responsible for anything close to a reasonable fraction of a percent of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activist in Providence , RI knows precisely what ’ s going on .
Public safety and elected officials and community leaders on Friday decried the latest violence in Providence , which saw the fifth homicide in two weeks occur Thursday night .
“ This is not law enforcement killing our children .
It ’ s not them .
It ’ s us , ” said Cedric Huntley , Interim of the Director of the Nonviolence Institute , at a press conference Friday morning .
“ I ’ m not defending anybody — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black and brown children are killing each other and that ’ s wrong .
All I know is I go to the hospital and I see pain and suffering .
That ’ s what I see.
” Other activists in Providence are ready to blame guns and everything else , but Huntley seems to grasp the problem better than most .
While the murder rate continues to skyrocket in pretty much every city in the country , we know mostly who are carrying out these crimes .
These aren ’ t police shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even shoot back at a guy shooting at them without Chicago Black Lives Matter activists trying to justify looting , for crying out loud , so if these deaths were at the hands of police , we ’ d know it .
Instead , what we ’ re seeing is private citizens killing private citizens .
And , like it or not , a lot of those deaths of young black men are at the hands of other young black men .
Regardless of the ethnicities involved , though , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for the upsurge in violent crime that has grabbed hold pretty much everywhere .
Oh no , it ’ s us .
Maybe not you and me specifically , but the people as a whole .
To be sure , everyone has a theory and more than a few dipsticks are thinking that because gun sales spiked , it ’ s resulting in this surge in violence , but they offer no evidence because post hoc ergo proptor hoc ( aftere , therefore because of ) fallacies .
That ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know precisely why everyone seems to have lost their freaking minds .
I don ’ t know why our cities are becoming warzones .
I have my own theories , of course , with most dealing with the lockdown , but I don ’ t know for certain .
But we do know pretty much who is doing it , and if certain factions in this country want more folks to take them seriously , they need to address the legions of murders carried out every day and not just the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement .

Despite the prevalence of “Black Lives Matter” as part of the social framework these days, a whole lot of black people–particularly young black men–are dying. They’re being murdered at an incredible rate and have been ever since the riots kicked off following the death of George Floyd.
Yet there’s an important point to remember, and that is that the murders aren’t on the hands of police officers. Oh no, they’re not responsible for anything close to a reasonable fraction of a percent of those being gunned down.
However, an activist in Providence, RI knows precisely what’s going on.
Public safety and elected officials and community leaders on Friday decried the latest violence in Providence, which saw the fifth homicide in two weeks occur Thursday night. “This is not law enforcement killing our children. It’s not them. It’s us,” said Cedric Huntley, Interim of the Director of the Nonviolence Institute, at a press conference Friday morning. “I’m not defending anybody — but I am defending the community. Our black and brown children are killing each other and that’s wrong. All I know is I go to the hospital and I see pain and suffering. That’s what I see.”
Other activists in Providence are ready to blame guns and everything else, but Huntley seems to grasp the problem better than most.
While the murder rate continues to skyrocket in pretty much every city in the country, we know mostly who are carrying out these crimes. These aren’t police shootings. I mean, the cops can’t even shoot back at a guy shooting at them without Chicago Black Lives Matter activists trying to justify looting, for crying out loud, so if these deaths were at the hands of police, we’d know it.
Instead, what we’re seeing is private citizens killing private citizens. And, like it or not, a lot of those deaths of young black men are at the hands of other young black men.
Regardless of the ethnicities involved, though, it’s not the police who are responsible for the upsurge in violent crime that has grabbed hold pretty much everywhere. Oh no, it’s us. Maybe not you and me specifically, but the people as a whole.
To be sure, everyone has a theory and more than a few dipsticks are thinking that because gun sales spiked, it’s resulting in this surge in violence, but they offer no evidence because post hoc ergo proptor hoc (aftere, therefore because of) fallacies. That’s all they have.
Frankly, I don’t know precisely why everyone seems to have lost their freaking minds. I don’t know why our cities are becoming warzones. I have my own theories, of course, with most dealing with the lockdown, but I don’t know for certain.
But we do know pretty much who is doing it, and if certain factions in this country want more folks to take them seriously, they need to address the legions of murders carried out every day and not just the small handful of shootings that involve law enforcement.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Florida Man Shot And Killed After Trying To Break Into Home With Tire Iron

Polk County , Florida Sheriff Grady Judd says no charges are expected after a woman shot and killed a man trying to break into her home with a tire iron early Saturday morning .
“ You have a right to protect yourself in your home and be free from home invaders , armed burglars and certainly he was armed with a tire iron making an attempt to come in through the window , ” Judd said .
“ She stopped him .
She stopped him permanently.
” According to the sheriff , the incident began after two couples went out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening .
Around 4 a.m. Saturday morning , the four returned to the home of one of the women when an argument broke out between the other woman and her boyfriend .
Eventually , the two men left the home and their girlfriends , but returned a couple of hours later .
The man who ’ d gotten into a fight with his girlfriend began banging on the front door and yelling to be let inside , but the women in the home didn ’ t respond .
Instead of leaving , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judd said the other man tried getting him to leave , but he refused and retrieved a tire iron from a car .
He used it to break a window and tear through a screen The woman who owns the home then shot him dead .
She and the man ’ s girlfriend were the only people inside the home at the time , Judd said .
According to Fox 13 in Tampa , authorities identified the would-be intruder as 34-year old Joshua Mathieu , whose criminal record stretches back a decade and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , burglary , and disorderly conduct .
“ This is another incidence where you just should have left , ” Judd said .
“ But when you came back to the house , that ’ s not your home and you tried to break in to get a girlfriend who did not want to go with you that was a bad choice and it was the last bad choice he ’ ll make.
” It sounds like Joshua Mathieu made several bad choices over the past decade , including the decision to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staying .
He could have simply gone home to sleep , and maybe the argument would have been forgotten about when he woke up .
Instead , he threatened violence against the women inside the residence , attempted to use force to gain entry , and suffered the consequences when the woman inside opened fire in self-defense .

Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd says no charges are expected after a woman shot and killed a man trying to break into her home with a tire iron early Saturday morning.
“You have a right to protect yourself in your home and be free from home invaders, armed burglars and certainly he was armed with a tire iron making an attempt to come in through the window,” Judd said. “She stopped him. She stopped him permanently.”
According to the sheriff, the incident began after two couples went out for a night on the town Friday evening. Around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, the four returned to the home of one of the women when an argument broke out between the other woman and her boyfriend. Eventually, the two men left the home and their girlfriends, but returned a couple of hours later.
The man who’d gotten into a fight with his girlfriend began banging on the front door and yelling to be let inside, but the women in the home didn’t respond. Instead of leaving, the suspect decided to escalate the situation.
Judd said the other man tried getting him to leave, but he refused and retrieved a tire iron from a car. He used it to break a window and tear through a screen The woman who owns the home then shot him dead. She and the man’s girlfriend were the only people inside the home at the time, Judd said.
According to Fox 13 in Tampa, authorities identified the would-be intruder as 34-year old Joshua Mathieu, whose criminal record stretches back a decade and includes arrests for multiple accounts of battery, burglary, and disorderly conduct.
“This is another incidence where you just should have left,” Judd said. “But when you came back to the house, that’s not your home and you tried to break in to get a girlfriend who did not want to go with you that was a bad choice and it was the last bad choice he’ll make.”
It sounds like Joshua Mathieu made several bad choices over the past decade, including the decision to return to the house where his girlfriend was staying. He could have simply gone home to sleep, and maybe the argument would have been forgotten about when he woke up. Instead, he threatened violence against the women inside the residence, attempted to use force to gain entry, and suffered the consequences when the woman inside opened fire in self-defense.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Mad About Looting? Chicago BLM Activists Says "Get Over It"

Looting bothers me in a way that protests in and of themselves never could .
While I may not agree with your protests , a peaceful protest is still proof that we live in a free society .
For all the people screaming about how we live in a police state , they forget that if we really did , most of them would be too terrified to even leave the house , much less scream in the streets for a few hours .
But looting is something very different .
Looting is nothing more than smash-and-grab robbery on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause .
It never raises awareness of an issue .
It never helps anyone but the looters themselves .
Which kind of makes you wonder just why Black Lives Matter activists are so supportive of the tactic .
An activist accused people upset over the recent looting in downtown Chicago of being upset about the wrong thing during a recent press conference .
“ People are worried about looting and there are literal lives being taken away ?
There are people who are dying and y ’ all are mad about looting Mag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alycia Moaton said at the event hosted by the group GoodKids MadCity .
These buildings are insured .
Materials will come back , but we will not come back if they kill us .
What do y ’ all not get about that ?
Gucci , Apple store , whatever it is , that stuff can be replaced .
But we won ’ t be replaced .
We lose our lives every single day for this cause , and y ’ all are mad about the wrong shit .
On what appeared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself as a “ mad abolitionist ” and a member of GoodKids MadCity .
I ’ m still trying to find evidence that a single Black Lives Matter activist was killed for their cause , much less people losing their lives every day .
I suppose if people were being murdered daily for their beliefs , I could at least understand the outrage .
So far , I ’ ve found one report of a Black Lives Matter activist being murdered .
She was raped and killed by a black man , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it didn ’ t have much of anything to do with her activism .
Yet people like Moaton are still claiming that people are losing their lives every day , yet the media never calls on them to back up that claim .
Are black men and women dying every day ?
Yes , but so are white folks and every other ethnicity .
Are black people losing their lives to violence at a higher rate , though ?
Oh , absolutely , but they ’ re often killed at the hands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So no , I ’ m not going to get over the looting .
I ’ m not going to just roll over and shrug because these stores have insurance .
Them having insurance isn ’ t a license for rampaging mobs to take crap that doesn ’ t belong to them .
It ’ s no justification for smash-and-grab robbery .
I ’ m not going to get over it and neither should anyone else .
Especially those who aren ’ t able to earn a living because some mob thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that didn ’ t belong to them and destroy the store in the process .
The store ’ s insurance didn ’ t really help them all that much , and how many of those lives shattered by that are black lives ?
Black lives matter , but only when it ’ s convenient , apparently .

Looting bothers me in a way that protests in and of themselves never could. While I may not agree with your protests, a peaceful protest is still proof that we live in a free society. For all the people screaming about how we live in a police state, they forget that if we really did, most of them would be too terrified to even leave the house, much less scream in the streets for a few hours.
But looting is something very different. Looting is nothing more than smash-and-grab robbery on a grander scale. It never helps a cause. It never raises awareness of an issue. It never helps anyone but the looters themselves.
Which kind of makes you wonder just why Black Lives Matter activists are so supportive of the tactic.
An activist accused people upset over the recent looting in downtown Chicago of being upset about the wrong thing during a recent press conference. “People are worried about looting and there are literal lives being taken away? There are people who are dying and y’all are mad about looting Mag Mile? Get over it!” Alycia Moaton said at the event hosted by the group GoodKids MadCity. She continued: These buildings are insured. Materials will come back, but we will not come back if they kill us. What do y’all not get about that? Gucci, Apple store, whatever it is, that stuff can be replaced. But we won’t be replaced. We lose our lives every single day for this cause, and y’all are mad about the wrong shit. On what appeared to be her Twitter profile, Moaton described herself as a “mad abolitionist” and a member of GoodKids MadCity.
I’m still trying to find evidence that a single Black Lives Matter activist was killed for their cause, much less people losing their lives every day. I suppose if people were being murdered daily for their beliefs, I could at least understand the outrage.
Only, they’re not.
So far, I’ve found one report of a Black Lives Matter activist being murdered. She was raped and killed by a black man, so I’m willing to bet that it didn’t have much of anything to do with her activism.
Yet people like Moaton are still claiming that people are losing their lives every day, yet the media never calls on them to back up that claim. Are black men and women dying every day? Yes, but so are white folks and every other ethnicity. Are black people losing their lives to violence at a higher rate, though? Oh, absolutely, but they’re often killed at the hands of black people, not white police officers.
So no, I’m not going to get over the looting. I’m not going to just roll over and shrug because these stores have insurance. Them having insurance isn’t a license for rampaging mobs to take crap that doesn’t belong to them. It’s no justification for smash-and-grab robbery.
I’m not going to get over it and neither should anyone else. Especially those who aren’t able to earn a living because some mob thought they had a right to take stuff that didn’t belong to them and destroy the store in the process. The store’s insurance didn’t really help them all that much, and how many of those lives shattered by that are black lives?
Black lives matter, but only when it’s convenient, apparently.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--More Charges In CA Concealed Carry Licensing Scandal

The former CEO of a Bay-area security firm has become the fifth person indicted in a scheme to purchase concealed-carry licenses by making hefty donations to the campaign of Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith , though the sheriff has managed to avoid any indictments herself , at least for now .
The San Jose Mercury News reports that Christian West , the former head of AS Security , was indicted by a grand jury late last week .
Interestingly , however , one of West ’ s key employees whose been named by prosecutors as an instrumental part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoid formal charges for the time being .
A major figure mentioned in the indictment , who has not been charged , is Martin Nielsen , a security executive for the Seattle-based AS Solution who managed a team that provided contract security for Facebook executives including founder Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg .
Prosecutors contend that Nielsen worked hand-in-hand with West to arrange the alleged pay-to-play deal , and campaign finance records show Nielsen wrote the $ 45,000 check that touched off a lengthy investigation by the Public Integrity Unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , off an inquiry by the Metro newspaper in 2018 after Smith was elected to a sixth term .
Nielsen wrote the check to the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance , an independent expenditure committee for whom veteran litigator Christopher Schumb served as assistant treasurer .
Schumb was indicted along with attorney Harpaul Nahal and Milpitas gun-parts maker Michael Nichols , who prosecutors say worked with sheriff ’ s Capt .
James Jensen to get CCW permits to Nielsen and his security colleagues .
Given Nielsen ’ s alleged role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indictment is forthcoming , though the Mercury News , citing unnamed sources , reports that Nielsen has been cooperating with prosecutors and has “ gathered incriminating evidence against the people who were indicted.
” The bigger question is whether or not Sheriff Smith will also face any charges .
As the Mercury News points out , Smith has not been officially implicated in the scandal , though ultimately she ’ s the sole person with the responsibility to approve or deny concealed carry licenses in the county .
The sheriff ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
But a multitude of questions arose in the wake of the initial indictment , namely about how Smith could avoid legal consequences given that her discretion on issuing CCW permits has been a perennial source of criticism for her .
According to multiple sources in the sheriff ’ s office , many in the agency are questioning why Jensen was not placed on administrative leave sooner than the indictment , when he was known to be a subject of the DA investigation for over a year .
They also pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith ’ s office was to Jensen ’ s indictment , a statement saying they will “ continue to monitor the situation.
” In past controversies , the sheriff ’ s office has not refrained from conditionally admonishing or condemning employees accused of breaking the law , including three jail deputies who were charged with murdering a mentally ill inmate , a bodybuilding deputy charged with workers ’ compensation fraud , and other past instances of alleged deputy misconduct .
Unlike most states , which have a “ shall-issue ” policy for concealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities to grant licenses to those who meet the statutory requirements , California law grants broad discretion to sheriffs to approve or deny applicants if the sheriff doesn ’ t believe the applicant has a justifiable need to carry .
While most sheriffs in the state view self-defense as a justifiable need , sheriffs in the state ’ s most populous counties , including Santa Clara , typically do not see a general right to self-defense as justification to carry .
Obviously this discretion allows for abuse and corruption , as the Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given the anti-gun legislative majority in Sacramento , it ’ s highly unlikely that the scandal that ’ s engulfed the Santa Clara County Sheriff ’ s Office will lead to any revision of the state ’ s concealed carry laws that would be beneficial to gun owners and those hoping to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms .
Even if Sheriff Smith herself does ultimately face charges , the gun control supporters in charge of state government are more likely to keep the broken system in place rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stop to the kinds of abuses alleged by prosecutors .

The former CEO of a Bay-area security firm has become the fifth person indicted in a scheme to purchase concealed-carry licenses by making hefty donations to the campaign of Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, though the sheriff has managed to avoid any indictments herself, at least for now.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that Christian West, the former head of AS Security, was indicted by a grand jury late last week. Interestingly, however, one of West’s key employees whose been named by prosecutors as an instrumental part of the pay-to-play scheme has also managed to avoid formal charges for the time being.
A major figure mentioned in the indictment, who has not been charged, is Martin Nielsen, a security executive for the Seattle-based AS Solution who managed a team that provided contract security for Facebook executives including founder Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg. Prosecutors contend that Nielsen worked hand-in-hand with West to arrange the alleged pay-to-play deal, and campaign finance records show Nielsen wrote the $45,000 check that touched off a lengthy investigation by the Public Integrity Unit in the District Attorney’s Office, off an inquiry by the Metro newspaper in 2018 after Smith was elected to a sixth term. Nielsen wrote the check to the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance, an independent expenditure committee for whom veteran litigator Christopher Schumb served as assistant treasurer. Schumb was indicted along with attorney Harpaul Nahal and Milpitas gun-parts maker Michael Nichols, who prosecutors say worked with sheriff’s Capt. James Jensen to get CCW permits to Nielsen and his security colleagues.
Given Nielsen’s alleged role in the scheme, it seems possible that an indictment is forthcoming, though the Mercury News, citing unnamed sources, reports that Nielsen has been cooperating with prosecutors and has “gathered incriminating evidence against the people who were indicted.”
The bigger question is whether or not Sheriff Smith will also face any charges. As the Mercury News points out, Smith has not been officially implicated in the scandal, though ultimately she’s the sole person with the responsibility to approve or deny concealed carry licenses in the county.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But a multitude of questions arose in the wake of the initial indictment, namely about how Smith could avoid legal consequences given that her discretion on issuing CCW permits has been a perennial source of criticism for her. According to multiple sources in the sheriff’s office, many in the agency are questioning why Jensen was not placed on administrative leave sooner than the indictment, when he was known to be a subject of the DA investigation for over a year. They also pointed to how subdued the formal response from Smith’s office was to Jensen’s indictment, a statement saying they will “continue to monitor the situation.” In past controversies, the sheriff’s office has not refrained from conditionally admonishing or condemning employees accused of breaking the law, including three jail deputies who were charged with murdering a mentally ill inmate, a bodybuilding deputy charged with workers’ compensation fraud, and other past instances of alleged deputy misconduct.
Unlike most states, which have a “shall-issue” policy for concealed carry licenses that require sheriffs or issuing authorities to grant licenses to those who meet the statutory requirements, California law grants broad discretion to sheriffs to approve or deny applicants if the sheriff doesn’t believe the applicant has a justifiable need to carry. While most sheriffs in the state view self-defense as a justifiable need, sheriffs in the state’s most populous counties, including Santa Clara, typically do not see a general right to self-defense as justification to carry.
Obviously this discretion allows for abuse and corruption, as the Santa Clara District Attorney has documented. Unfortunately, given the anti-gun legislative majority in Sacramento, it’s highly unlikely that the scandal that’s engulfed the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office will lead to any revision of the state’s concealed carry laws that would be beneficial to gun owners and those hoping to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Even if Sheriff Smith herself does ultimately face charges, the gun control supporters in charge of state government are more likely to keep the broken system in place rather than adopt a shall-issue system that would put a stop to the kinds of abuses alleged by prosecutors.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--Police Arrest Man Who Pointed Gun At Pro-Life Protesters

We live in a very tense point in American history .
While people have always disagreed in this country , these days it seems especially worse than almost any time before that didn ’ t involve an outright war .
More and more , it feels like we ’ re moving toward the point in the history book with the maps and differently-colored arrows .
Because of the tense nature of almost everything , we ’ re likely to see some ugliness pop up from time to time .
I ’ m not talking about big protests , though those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but potential violence popping up in places where it typically didn ’ t before .
Police in Delaware arrested a man on gun charges after he allegedly pulled a handgun on a group of anti-abortion protesters in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood , authorities said Saturday .
Dover police said they arrested 31-year-old Jerome Aniska of Wilmington , Delaware .
Police say it happened Friday morning after Aniska engaged with demonstrators that were on a public sidewalk in Dover .
Police say during an argument , Aniska pulled out a black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group .
Aniska is , frankly , lucky to be alive .
After all , pro-life protesters tend to also be pro-gun .
That means the odds of one of them having a firearm was much higher than it would have been at , say , the Women ’ s March .
Had one of them pulled their own gun and killed him , it would have likely been justified .
I sure as hell wouldn ’ t have blamed the shooter , that ’ s for sure .
Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
Maybe the court will find that he didn ’ t do anything .
Who knows , maybe they ’ ll find he acted in response to a threat .
I , personally , don ’ t believe that .
Over and over again , we ’ ve seen unhinged people looking for opportunities to shoot their ideological rivals .
It ’ s not just the left doing this , either .
Plenty of numbskulls on the right have done so as well , and everyone needs to knock it off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time before we end up with a two-way range .
If that happens , no one wins .
As it stands right now , though , Aniska is facing charges such as aggravated menacing , terroristic threatening , and possession of a handgun during the commission of a felony .
That suggests he ’ s looking at some serious time for his actions , though I suspect he feels completely justified by them .
He was released on $ 26,000 bond , which seems a bit light for such a crime .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this is still another instance of violence being used to try and further political causes .
In this case , an attempt to silence pro-life protesters who were , apparently , simply exercising their First Amendment rights in a way that Aniska didn ’ t care for .
More specifically , they were using it to say things he didn ’ t want to hear .
And really , it ’ s another example of how some people haven ’ t grasped the way freedom works .
You can ’ t pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretend protests they support are peachy .
The hypocrisy is too ridiculous at that point , so knock it the hell off .

We live in a very tense point in American history. While people have always disagreed in this country, these days it seems especially worse than almost any time before that didn’t involve an outright war. More and more, it feels like we’re moving toward the point in the history book with the maps and differently-colored arrows.
Because of the tense nature of almost everything, we’re likely to see some ugliness pop up from time to time. I’m not talking about big protests, though those are definitely going to happen as well, but potential violence popping up in places where it typically didn’t before.
Like a pro-life protest.
Police in Delaware arrested a man on gun charges after he allegedly pulled a handgun on a group of anti-abortion protesters in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood, authorities said Saturday. Dover police said they arrested 31-year-old Jerome Aniska of Wilmington, Delaware. Police say it happened Friday morning after Aniska engaged with demonstrators that were on a public sidewalk in Dover. Police say during an argument, Aniska pulled out a black handgun and made a threatening statement to the group.
Aniska is, frankly, lucky to be alive.
After all, pro-life protesters tend to also be pro-gun. That means the odds of one of them having a firearm was much higher than it would have been at, say, the Women’s March. Had one of them pulled their own gun and killed him, it would have likely been justified.
I sure as hell wouldn’t have blamed the shooter, that’s for sure.
Of course, Aniska still is due his day in court. Maybe the court will find that he didn’t do anything. Who knows, maybe they’ll find he acted in response to a threat.
I, personally, don’t believe that. Over and over again, we’ve seen unhinged people looking for opportunities to shoot their ideological rivals. It’s not just the left doing this, either. Plenty of numbskulls on the right have done so as well, and everyone needs to knock it off. It’s only a matter of time before we end up with a two-way range. If that happens, no one wins.
As it stands right now, though, Aniska is facing charges such as aggravated menacing, terroristic threatening, and possession of a handgun during the commission of a felony. That suggests he’s looking at some serious time for his actions, though I suspect he feels completely justified by them. He was released on $26,000 bond, which seems a bit light for such a crime.
But that’s just me.
Regardless, this is still another instance of violence being used to try and further political causes. In this case, an attempt to silence pro-life protesters who were, apparently, simply exercising their First Amendment rights in a way that Aniska didn’t care for. More specifically, they were using it to say things he didn’t want to hear.
And really, it’s another example of how some people haven’t grasped the way freedom works. You can’t pull a gun on a protester, then pretend protests they support are peachy. The hypocrisy is too ridiculous at that point, so knock it the hell off.


bearingarms--2020-08-24--First Night Of RNC Will Have Strong Second Amendment Appeal

The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday evening , ostensibly from Charlotte , N.C. but with many speakers bringing their message to the convention virtually , and unlike Democrats , who waited until the third night of the DNC to talk about gun control , President Donald Trump and the GOP are putting the Second Amendment front-and-center from the start .
Mark and Patricia McCloskey , the St. Louis homeowners facing felony charges for displaying their firearms and pointing them at protesters who had entered their private neighborhood on their way to a demonstration outside the home of mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be speaking out on Monday night as the Trump campaign seeks to highlight both the disorder in cities controlled by Democrats , while at the same time reminding voters of the sharp contrast between the Biden/Harris anti-gun agenda and the pro-Second Amendment stance of the Trump administration .
The McCloskeys won ’ t be the only Second Amendment supporters making an appearance during the first night of the convention .
Andrew Pollack , whose daughter Meadow was murdered in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland , Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening .
Unlike other parents like Fred Gutenberg who ’ ve embraced gun control in the aftermath of the shootings , Pollack has instead dedicated himself to school safety instead of gun bans .
In fact , the Washington Times reported last August that the attack that took his daughter ’ s life made him a believer in the Second Amendment .
“ I was never such a pro-Second Amendment type of guy until this happened to my daughter and I saw how she became such a victim on that third floor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mr. Pollack , whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow was among the 17 students and staff killed by a gunman on Valentine ’ s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School , told Fox News host Martha MacCallum .
Mr. Pollack cited the recent mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso , Texas , where 22 people were killed and others attempted to hide or flee , as an example of people needing to be able to carry guns so they can fight back .
Every time that there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim cowering , like at Walmart recently where those people were killed in Texas and there were victims cowering — it shows you how important the Second Amendment is , ” he said .
“ When seconds count , you need to be able to protect yourself .
First responders are usually minutes away .
“ That is why I am such a believer in the Second Amendment and I ’ ll never let one of my friends or loved ones be a victim , like what happened to my daughter on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The McCloskeys have received the lion ’ s share of media attention for their appearance at the RNC , but I think Pollack ’ s address could actually have a bigger impact on any undecided voters who might be tuned in .
Last week , Democrats made it sound like if you didn ’ t support their anti-gun agenda , you were a horrible person who puts the profit of gun manufacturers over people .
Pollack ’ s presence absolutely destroys that narrative .
Here ’ s a man who suffered an unimaginable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace the idea of a gun ban or anything like that .
Instead , he ’ s advocating for the right to keep and bear arms and the right of self-defense .
The contrast between the two campaigns as to how they treat the Second Amendment will be in sharp focus this evening .
The messaging will be part of the Trump campaign ’ s broader message of law-and-order , but will highlight the fact that , unlike the Democratic party , Republicans believe that a safer society includes the right of self-defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .

The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday evening, ostensibly from Charlotte, N.C. but with many speakers bringing their message to the convention virtually, and unlike Democrats, who waited until the third night of the DNC to talk about gun control, President Donald Trump and the GOP are putting the Second Amendment front-and-center from the start.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis homeowners facing felony charges for displaying their firearms and pointing them at protesters who had entered their private neighborhood on their way to a demonstration outside the home of mayor Lyda Krewson back in June, will be speaking out on Monday night as the Trump campaign seeks to highlight both the disorder in cities controlled by Democrats, while at the same time reminding voters of the sharp contrast between the Biden/Harris anti-gun agenda and the pro-Second Amendment stance of the Trump administration.
The McCloskeys won’t be the only Second Amendment supporters making an appearance during the first night of the convention. Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was murdered in the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, will also address the RNC on Monday evening. Unlike other parents like Fred Gutenberg who’ve embraced gun control in the aftermath of the shootings, Pollack has instead dedicated himself to school safety instead of gun bans. In fact, the Washington Times reported last August that the attack that took his daughter’s life made him a believer in the Second Amendment.
“I was never such a pro-Second Amendment type of guy until this happened to my daughter and I saw how she became such a victim on that third floor and no one came in to help her,” Mr. Pollack, whose 18-year-old daughter Meadow was among the 17 students and staff killed by a gunman on Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, told Fox News host Martha MacCallum. Mr. Pollack cited the recent mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where 22 people were killed and others attempted to hide or flee, as an example of people needing to be able to carry guns so they can fight back. Every time that there’s a mass shooting and there’s a victim cowering, like at Walmart recently where those people were killed in Texas and there were victims cowering — it shows you how important the Second Amendment is,” he said. “When seconds count, you need to be able to protect yourself. First responders are usually minutes away. “That is why I am such a believer in the Second Amendment and I’ll never let one of my friends or loved ones be a victim, like what happened to my daughter on that third floor,” he added.
The McCloskeys have received the lion’s share of media attention for their appearance at the RNC, but I think Pollack’s address could actually have a bigger impact on any undecided voters who might be tuned in. Last week, Democrats made it sound like if you didn’t support their anti-gun agenda, you were a horrible person who puts the profit of gun manufacturers over people. Pollack’s presence absolutely destroys that narrative. Here’s a man who suffered an unimaginable tragedy, but he didn’t embrace the idea of a gun ban or anything like that. Instead, he’s advocating for the right to keep and bear arms and the right of self-defense.
The contrast between the two campaigns as to how they treat the Second Amendment will be in sharp focus this evening. The messaging will be part of the Trump campaign’s broader message of law-and-order, but will highlight the fact that, unlike the Democratic party, Republicans believe that a safer society includes the right of self-defense and the exercise of your Second Amendment rights.