Sunday, March 30, 2014

Your Right To A CCW Permit Should Not Depend On Your Address

In a recent article entitled "Want a concealed gun in California? Head north", SF Gate reported on the issue of concealed carry.   In this article, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr made it clear that he thinks concealed carry is a bad idea.  He made it clear that he doesn't think citizens can handle the responsibility involved.  He also doesn't think that trained and licensed citizens can handle the responsibility - and that they don't need to, since the SFPD's average response time is 4 minutes.  Apparently the chief has never heard the proverb that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away - or he doesn't care that all too often getting there in four minutes isn't good enough in the vast majority of violent crimes.  The sad reality is that when you are unable to defend yourself you may not even be able to make the call that starts that 4 minute clock before you are dead.

Listening to Chief Suhr, one would think that his opinion is based in fact - however nothing could be further from the truth.  His opinion is rooted not in fact, but in politics.  The reality is that none of his opinions find support in the nation's 25 years of experience with citizen concealed carry.

43 states currently issue permits to anyone meeting objective training and background check standards.  The only state in the continental US West of the Mississippi that doesn't do so?  CALIFORNIA.  Number of these states that have turned into the "Wild West"? ZERO.  This includes such cities and metropolitan areas as Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Austin, New Orleans, Little Rock, Saint Louis, Boise, Spokane and Las Vegas.  Apparently Chief Suhr believes that San Francisco residents are less competent than the good people who live in these cities.

Additionally is has been over two years since the Sheriff of Sacramento County began recognizing "self defense" as good cause - effectively issuing permits in the same way as in  the states and cities above.  Did you miss the massive increase in homicide and other crimes that resulted?  Of course you did - BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.   It didn't happen in my home county (El Dorado) after the same policy was implemented a year earlier.

We now have over 25 years experience with citizen concealed carry - and NONE of the predictions made by anti-gun rights activists has come true.  A study done in Texas showed that permit holders were less likely to commit crimes or be involved in a bad shoot than police officers.  This fact becomes even more significant when one considers that there are between five and ten times as many permit holders as police officers.  If the predictions of the anti-gun rights crowd were true, then blood should be running in the street.

While the anti-gun rights crowd can point to very few incidents involving concealed carry permit holders, those of us on the gun rights side of the discussion can point to many cases in which crimes have been stopped and lives have been saved.  This convinced a former LA cop - now chief in Detroit that he had been wrong in his opposition.   Chief James Craig went public with his support for citizen concealed carry in January.  He was promptly condemned by gun control advocates and many politically appointed police chiefs.  He was mocked - in spite of the fact that a 2013 study of 15,000 line police officers showed that 91% supported citizen concealed carry.  THAT'S RIGHT - 9 OUT OF 10 LINE COPS SUPPORT "SHALL ISSUE" CCW PERMITS.  IT'S THE POLITICALLY APPOINT CHIEFS (LIKE CHIEF SUHR)  WHO OPPOSE IT. 

Chief Craig did not have to wait long to be vindicated.    In less than three months there have been ten self-defense shootings - most involving CCW permit holders defending themselves against armed attackers.   There were no cases of criminals taking their guns away and using them against the owners.  There were no cases of the CCW holders shooting innocent people by mistake.  There were also no cases where the shootings were found not to be justified.  In short, in ten self defense shootings the armed citizens made zero mistakes.

Are ten self defense shootings a good thing?  No, a good thing would be zero defensive shootings (because they were not necessary) - but ten defensive shootings resulting in dead or wounded criminals is better than 10 incidents in which law abiding victims were killed instead.  That is the only choice these law abiding citizens were given - and they chose life. Chief Greg Suhr  and many others like him feel that they have the right to remove that choice.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Senator Yee Not The Only Criminal Anti Gun Activist

Mayor Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns Riddled With Criminals

With the recent arrest of the rabidly anti-gun rights Sen. Leland Yee on gun trafficking charges, this seemed a good time to examine the leading anti-gun rights organization in the country - Mayor Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns or MAIG.  For some time, gun right activists have noted that a huge number of the members (and now former members) have been convicted of serious crimes.

Perhaps the greatest concern is that MAIG seems to have no problem accepting members who are convicted criminals.  This is not surprising given that Mayor Bloomberg himself had the MAIG website hosted on official NYC servers and had NYC personnel maintain the site - instead of hiring staff and paying for hosting.  It is my considered opinion that Mayor Bloomberg lacks a moral compass. 

While it is certainly true that people from every walk of life are convicted of crimes, it is especially troubling that MAIG does not seem to mind admitting convicted felons, when they think they can be helpful.  Does this send the message that they don't care if people commit crimes in office?  I think it does - and the sheer number of MAIG members convicted of serious crimes tends to bear this out.  It is even more troubling that many of these crimes involve the misuse of firearms.   In fact, several members of MAIG are banned by Federal Law from owning, possessing or even holding firearms, due to their convictions.

In addition to the information below, the Second Amendment Foundation has prepared an excellent, if a tad dated, flyer.  It can be found here.

The following members and former members were convicted BEFORE joining MAIG:

Mayor Samuel Rivera, Passaic NJ - Charges: Many - before taking office, convicted of covering up a homicide. After, indicted for extortion and taking a bribe. Plea of guilty, sentence of 21 months' imprisonment.

Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer, Redding PA - Pleaded guilty in county court to aggravated assault, a first-degree misdemeanor, and was sentenced to five years of probation.  Nine other charges were dismissed in exchange for the plea.  His victim suffered head and other injuries and was left with permanent hearing loss.  ALL OF THIS TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO HIS JOINING MAIG, AND HE WAS NEVER THE LESS ALLOWED TO JOIN.

Mayor Frank Melton, Jackson, MI - Charged with conspiracy to violate civil rights (by tearing down a person's house), commission of a violent crime while possessing a handgun.  Died before charges could be resolved.  In 2006, the same year he joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns, he was convicted of violating a "gun free school zone" law and bans on carrying guns in church. 

Mayor Michael Pembleton, Sunflower MS - Arrested, convicted and sentenced for stealing $7,000 worth of designer bags. AFTER HIS CONVICTION MAIG featured Pembleton’s name on an ad asking Congress to do more to keep criminals from getting guns.


The following MAIG members (or former members) have been charged and/or convicted of felonies or violent misdemeanors: 

Mayor James Schiliro, Marcus Hook, PA - Accused of having a police officer "pick up a 20-year old" male and bring him to the Mayor's home. Once there, Schiliro allegedly provided the under-age male with alcohol and asked for sexual favors. When the 20-year old refused to cooperate, Schiliro allegedly lost his temper, grabbed a handgun, and fired "it into some papers."  The charges filed against Schiliro include "unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, official oppression, and furnishing alcohol to a minor." 

Mayor Shiela Dixon,  Baltimore, Maryland - Convicted of embezzlement and plead guilty to perjury.

Mayor Eddie Perez, Hartford, CT - Charges: bribery, fabricating evidence, conspiracy. Arrested a second time, on extortion charges.

Mayor Gary Becker, Racine, WI - Plea of guilty to sexual assault on a child and child enticement.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Detriot MI - Guilty plea to two counts of perjury and one of assault on an officer. Sentenced to four months in jail and five years of probation.

Mayor David Delle Donna, Guttenberg, NJ - Convicted of extortion and tax fraud. Sentenced to four years' imprisonment.

Mayor Noramie Jasmin, Spring Valley NY - Faces multiple federal corruption charges. 

Mayor Will Wynn, Austin TX -  Guilty plea to charge of assault. Sentenced to community service.

Mayor Jeremiah Healy, Jersey City NJ - Has quite a rap sheet. In 1999, convicted of disorderly conduct. In 2007, convicted of resisting arrest. Presently, he is a suspect in an official corruption probe.

Mayor Larry Langford, Birmingham AL -  Indicted on 101 counts of bribery, fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.  Convicted on 60 felony counts.

Mayor Richard Corkery, Coaldale, PA - Charged with downloading child pornography.  Violated bail conditions.

Mayor Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco, Tamarac FL - Faces charges of bribery and official misconduct stemming from dealings with two unscrupulous developers.

Mayor Adam Bradley, White Plains NY - Arrested for third degree misdemeanor assault. Wife Fumiko Bradley acquired a temporary protective order against him. The mayor was sentenced to three years probation.

Mayor Roosevelt Dorn, Inglewood CA - Resigned ahead of pleading guilty to conflict of interest charges. He also faced charges of embezzlement.

Mayor Tony Mack, Tenton NJ - Found guilty of corruption as part of a government sting and removed from office.

Mayor Buddy Cianci, Providence, RI - Convicted of assault and racketeering


Members or former members accused and/or convicted of lesser charges:

Mayor Craig Lowe, Gainesville FL - Charged with DUI.  Prominent member of MAIG.

Mayor Gordon Jenkins of Monticello, NY - DUI charges. Video shows him hurling abusive language to police officers.

Mayor April Almon, New Haven, CT - Charged with  Interfering with police officers.

Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr, Brownsville TX - Charged with 3rd DUI