I occasionally post guest blog entries from readers. By posting them that does not show I agree or disagree with the content. Here is a letter from Sean about gun control laws.
Dear Mayor Claudia Bill - de la Pena:I attended the forum on gun control. I've been a resident of Ventura County the vast majority of my life. I've called the Conejo Valley my home for the past four years. I thank you for attending.
I don't set out to change your mind. I find it almost completely non-productive to change an adult's mind. What I wish to do is provide some clarity.
For example, you said that automatic weapons are illegal. They are legal and heavily regulated in over half of the 50 states.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090208100642AA1yRuX http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_by_state
You also mentioned that the country you grew up in, Germany didn't have a lot of gun murders. True. However, before and during World War II, they killed 11.5 million - 12 million of their own people after passing strict gun control measures. They were also thwarted from invading Switzerland. Switzerland's people had and still have the right to bear arms. Not just any arms, but military style weapons. Please visit www.jpfo.org for more clarity on this issue and read "Target Switzerland" .
You threw out an odd stat on accidental shootings. More people (and children) die accidentally by drowning in pools than they do by accidental shootings. http://www.m1-garand-rifle.com/firearms-versus-swimming-pools.php I have Nixle alerts for the TO area, and I can't remember the last time I got an alert about a young child dying by getting accidentally shot. That would actually be national news. I do remember at least twice getting notifications of TWO drownings in the past two years in the Conejo Valley. There are less pools than privately owned firearms in the Conejo Valley and more accidental deaths by swimming pools.
You had also mentioned how you witnessed the parents of Newtown victims, and other victims of other gun violence. I wish to expose you to another victim of gun violence and his thoughts on the matter. Evan Todd survived the Columbine massacre.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/20/columbine-survivor-pens-bold-open-letter-to-obama-rejecting-gun-control-whose-side-are-you-on/
and here's some video http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/21/beck-talks-gun-control-with-columbine-survivor-who-wrote-scathing-letter-to-obama-plus-bill-oreilly-weighs-in/
I'd also like to show you some other victims of violent crime and how this issue affects them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u0Byq5Qis
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/05/colorado-dem-to-rape-survivor-a-gun-wouldnt-have-helped-you-against-rapist-because-statistics-are-not-on-your-side/As a police officer my heart goes out to those we can't get to in time. They have the right to defend themselves. No one has the right to disarm these victims.
I found your description of the 2nd amendment in desperate need of clarity. You started with "we don't have a militia." First, that is a preamble. "shall not be infringed" also is in the 2nd amendment. The militia according to the government's definition is all able-bodied males from the ages of 18-45 in the entire country.
10 USC CHAPTER 13 - THE MILITIA
Sec. 311. Militia: composition and classes
-STATUTE-
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied
males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section
313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a
declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States
and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the
National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard
and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of
the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the
Naval Militia.Basically the unorganized militia consists of all US Citizens under the age of 46.
This is an awesome link, by an affiliated religious website.
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/29951Under the original militia act of 1792:
I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age of eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years (except as is herein after excepted) shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia, by the Captain or Commanding Officer of the company, within whose bounds such citizen shall reside, and that within twelve months after the passing of this Act. And it shall at all time hereafter be the duty of every such Captain or Commanding Officer of a company, to enroll every such citizen as aforesaid, and also those who shall, from time to time, arrive at the age of 18 years, or being at the age of 18 years, and under the age of 45 years (except as before excepted) shall come to reside within his bounds; and shall without delay notify such citizen of the said enrollment, by the proper non-commissioned Officer of the company, by whom such notice may be proved. That every citizen, so enrolled and notified, shall, within six months thereafter, provide himself with a good musket or firelock, a sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare flints, and a knapsack, a pouch, with a box therein, to contain not less than twenty four cartridges, suited to the bore of his musket or firelock, each cartridge to contain a proper quantity of powder and ball; or with a good rifle, knapsack, shot-pouch, and powder-horn, twenty balls suited to the bore of his rifle, and a quarter of a pound of powder; and shall appear so armed, accoutred and provided, when called out to exercise or into service, except, that when called out on company days to exercise only, he may appear without a knapsack. That the commissioned Officers shall severally be armed with a sword or hanger, and espontoon; and that from and after five years from the passing of this Act, all muskets from arming the militia as is herein required, shall be of bores sufficient for balls of the eighteenth part of a pound; and every citizen so enrolled, and providing himself with the arms, ammunition and accoutrements, required as aforesaid, shall hold the same exempted from all suits, distresses, executions or sales, for debt or for the payment of taxes.
During the Second World War the unorganized militia was used to patrol costlines because all National Guard units had been Federalized.
I hope this provides some clarity. God Bless you and have a great week.
This is an issue I have spent a lot of thought and prayer on. I hope I've succeeded in adding some clarity on this matter.
Sincerely,
Sean McDermott
The format of the forum, http://www.theacorn.com/news/2013-03-07/Front_Page/Gun_violence_solutions_sought.html (I'd provide a VCStar link, but they didn't cover it) allowed for NO debate or real discussion.
You had five panelists, all of whom were calling for more Gun Control of some fashion. They all spoke for 45 minutes, a 15 refreshment break was taken, then written questions from the audience were asked of the panel and the panel asked. NO discussion between the audience and the panel took place. The panel was largely of one mind, ideologically on this issue so there wasn't any kind of constructive discussion at all.
For anyone to call this a discussion is negligently disingenuous at best, willfully dishonest at worst.
This woman's testimony is yet another piece of evidence that begs for restraint in any kind of effort to control guns by the nuts on this panel.
I love how he cites Wikipedia,Yahoo,and Youtube. Can't he find any legal or scholarly journals at least? I need solid backup. Please do some real research next time Mr. McDermott and I will take you more seriously.
Isn't Das Williams the guy who keeps kicking GOP butt in SB County? LOL!
Isn't Das Williams the guy who prevented a bill from advancing in the Assembly that would have made it easier for administrators to fire teachers who were molesting children?
And what was Das's motivation for doing this, I wonder? Oh yeah, the California Teachers' Association (CTA) opposed this bill. The same organization that contributed big bucks to Das's election campaign.
Hmmm.......
Gun violence doesn't occur because there isn't enough guns. At the same tim denying legal gun ownership will not prevent crime. If Dick Cheney didn't use a shotgun to shoot his lawyer in the face he would have used a knife. You can't stop these people. He's a Cheney and they're all alike. It's in their blood. He says he's working for us, but really he wants to rule the world!
For some reason, Wacky Nobody is talking about Dick Cheney while the rest of us are talking about people from this century.
Gun control has already faded into last month's news, so no point in even discussing it any longer. Time to move on.
Dick Cheney owns the GOP and because of that the GOP will keep shrinking and losing power! In terms of gun control democrats will take over completely in 2014 and will stop the gun nuts from mudering children and innocent people!
Tea Party Leader Rand Paul said today he supports rewarding those who are here illegally with a path to citizenship and Conservative Republican leader Rob Portman said he now supports gay marriage.
Dick Cheney is irrelevant. No one cares about him anymore.
As for gun control, today Harry Reid removed the ban on assault weapons component of Senator Dianne Feinstein's proposed gun control bill. As I've been saying all along, there will be no meaningful gun control legislation passed in the near future. The NRA is way too powerful and they've been flexing their muscles throughout the whole debate.
There is even talk of some of the Democrats who supported this bill who are from strong gun rights states being kicked out of office in the next election. This is a political hot potato issue and always will be.
How does Dick Cheney play a role in gun laws? Well as President of the U.S. Senate, he signed an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court in the case of Heller v. District of Columbia that successfully challenged gun laws in the nation's capitol on Second Amendment grounds.
But enough about Cheney. Let's talk about RONALD REAGAN.
as Gov. of California, RONALD REAGAN signed the Mulford Act which prohibited the carrying of firearms on your person, in your vehicle and in any public place. As Gov. of Cal. RONALD REAGAN signed off on a 15-day waiting period for guns. As President RONALD REAGAN signed into law a ban on ownership of fully automatic rifles. After leaving the presidency RONLAD REAGAN supported the Brady Bill which provided for a 7-day waiting period for guns. In 1994 RONALD REAGAN wrote Congress supporting a ban on assault rifles.
Now it's up you the American people. Who are you going to believe? Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney, or Eric Ingemunson and the current republicans of today; or RONALD REAGAN?
God bless this blog and God bless America.
You might as well forget about any meaningful gun control legislation being passed in the near future. Congress has been manhandled again by the NRA and gun rights groups. Members have actually been threatened with recalls and having big bucks spent against them in their reelection bids if they supported Feinstein's bill.
Was this intimidation and bullying? As Sarah Palin would say: "You betcha!" Was it effective? "You betcha!"
Who knows maybe getting money from the NRA might not be such a good thing someday.
Yeah, at the same time as getting money from big oil, tobacco, Indian casinos, real estate, and banking interests become not such a good thing.
Republicans in Arizona are now passing a law that will require you to show your birth certificate in order to use a public restroom. They are afraid a transgender person might use the wrong bathroom so now the BIG GOVERNMENT GOP will require you to show a birth certificate before you can relieve yourself. This is why every republican in the Country needs to be kicked out of office in 2014 and especially if they are supported by the NRA!
No, they're concerned (and rightfully so) that some perv disguised as a woman might use a woman's restroom and check out all the women doing their business. It has happened quite frequently there and this law will prevent it.
This law would not only apply to public restrooms, but also to public showers and locker rooms. Imagine, if you will, some perv who thinks he is (or claims to be) a woman going into a public shower at the beach and showering with a bunch of women while his dong dangles between his legs. Is that not sick? Would you want your young daughter subjected to this? I doubt it.
This is nothing more than republican hatred of transgender folks and another intrusion on liberty from the GOP as they create their police state. The GOP clowns this week tried to say they will change their ways and that's just another filthy lie, a skunk can't change it's smell and the GOP can't change their hatred of anyone who does not conform to their idea of what it means to be a free American. It's no coincidence that facists and republicans are on the far right.
Ronald Reagan wasn't a gun control freak yet he advocated for the same gun laws being discussed today.
"GOP = BIG GOVERNMENT" you're so full of crap it isn't funny. You can't address my points on what could go wrong in a women's restroom, so all you can do is launch hysterical rants. Typical weak-kneed Dumbocrat.
Wrong gun nut idiot, you cannot put together a coherent sentence because you have an iq of 51 and you're drunk on right wing nut job koolaide. You can't even go to the bathroom fool unless you get permission from your mommy first! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
"GOP = BIG GOVERNMENT" is nothing but a little girl. All he knows how to do is throw out little juvenile insults that he must have learned last year in kindergarten. They have no wit or sophistication associated with them because the guy is clearly brain dead and can't come up with anything remotely original or that even has the possibility of evoking a chuckle.
I feel so under-matched here it's nor funny, so I won't even attempt a comeback that would blow him out of the water because it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guns Need Control Punk is obviously insane, of course republicans in VC have had their butts kicked so hard it is no wonder they have gone over the deep end after drinking all that koolaide!! Best part is that since the election VC has added 1,900 more dems and lost 132 more koolaide drinkers!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
This guy must have autism. All he knows how to do is recite the same thing over and over again.
Typical Dumbocrat. Head so far up his arse he'll need a flashlight to find his way back out.
Wow, now this republican is making fun of people with Autism! No wonder no one wants to be associated with the GOP anymore!
No, this is not making fun of people with autism, just comparing their behavior to that of "Somebodi," the loser.
Stop distorting the facts and speak to the real issue here, which is that the government needs to get out of my gun rack and start focusing on rebuilding the economy. The only trouble with that is we have a "community activist" President who knows nothing about economics. All he knows how to do is deliver evangelical speeches and hang out with racist ministers.
Wow this republican leader is still going after those with Autism! Hard to believe a GOP leader like this can be so insensitive to those with Autism! Also the NRA gun nuts came out with their "School Safety" plan today, more craziness that is DOA!
Wow this republican leader is still going after those with Autism! Hard to believe a GOP leader like this can be so insensitive to those with Autism! Also the NRA gun nuts came out with their "School Safety" plan today, more craziness that is DOA!