Thursday, December 20, 2012

Mise-en-scene


Cuomo and the Assault Weapon Ban

Gov. Cuomo wants to reinstate the federal assault weapon ban while tightening state law. Is it a good idea?
Over the last 48 hours, the debate over gun laws in America and New York in the aftermath of the shootings in Newtown, CT, has very much focused on assault weapons.
President Clinton signed an assault weapons ban into law in 1994, but it was allowed to expire in 2004.
But now, there's word that President Obama will support reinstatement of the ban.
Here in New York, Gov. Cuomo is also calling for a renewal of the assault weapons ban and a tightening of New York's regulations.
We want to know how you feel about the idea. Take our poll below and weigh in with your comments.
Related Topics: Andrew Cuomo, Assault Weapons Ban, and Barack Obama

Joe

7:04 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Meny years ago, when my wife and I we were much younger we drove up to the Upper Delaware Campground in Calicoon NY with two cousins. The four of us took a nap after a daylong canoe trip down the Delaware River. When we all awoke after dark we realized a group of a few dozen, out of control young men had pulled in and set up next to our site. They also started a large campfire and drank copious amounts of beer. As our attractive wives came out of the tents to help cook food the cat calls started. It got threatening when the drunk men from Glendale Queens yelled out they were going to rape the two girls. All that I had for protection was my off duty 6 shot revolver. As they saw me go over to my car to get my off duty, one yelled out they didn't care if I had a gun. Im sure they didn't see my handgun. Then they fired roman candles at us. My wife started shaking uncontrollably fearing the mens actions and threats. Being out numbered and fearing for our safety I filled beer bottles with lantern fluid and rags, I armed the girls with a hatchet and we all walked out toward the office in the pitch black night to get to a phone. Our car was blocked in. An hour later the St Troopers arrived and drove alongside us back to our campsite. The two troopers got out of their cruiser with shotguns. They stayed with us until we packed up in the darkness and rain.
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Joe

7:08 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Our tents had been damaged by the fireworks. We were out numbered and being seriously threatened. After we got home later that morning my wife needed to be hospitalized, she was in shock. She would never go camping again.
We were contacted by the camp owner and their local US Congressman's office after an article was written about the incident in the Metropolitan Camper Magazine. The story received much publicity in the camping community because of the serious nature of what had occurred. Had anyone ran at my wife or my cousin I was prepared to take their life if necessary. I only wish I had a automatic weapon should I have needed it to protect us.
What happened last week in Conn doesn't need to be further explained. I have a 7 y/o grand daughter in school lest than 25 minutes away from that horrific scene. My wife and I had many emotions as this unraveled. Ms Boxer's knee jerk reaction wanting to ban 800+ weapons, Never let a good tragedy go to waste. Boxer and McCaskill are opportunist. McCaskill is a real tough guy saying "rate this" when speaking about the NRA rating system and the shooting. I've protected many civilians in my life. Even some long before I became a police office. I've seen the human carnage at the Long Island RR massacre. Nothing has every changed my opinion about the left wings attempt at new gun control laws. And yes I am proud to say I am a NRA Life Member.
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<First Thought>

5:06 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Glad you and yours came out ok, but don't count on the mainstream airing your story. They are oddly silent when it comes to people using their arms for good.

Joe

7:15 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Now just like Cuomo's response to Sandy, He is way late and ill-advised. Remember the gas lines we endured for a week while NY Gov Christie figured it out.
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Michael Taustine

7:58 am on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Even the NRA can't be for the current state of easy access to high powered weapons by the mentally ill.
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<First Thought>

5:04 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
As a pro-gun guy, I wholeheartedly agree. However, what concerns me about such an idea is who gets to decide who is sane or not?

Joe

12:55 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
So is it a gun control issue? A mental health care issue, or just possible the extremely violent video games and feature movies being produced by Hollywood? A little of each I suppose. Colin Fergusons behavior was that of a mad man. During the trial he make a mockery of the criminal justice system. The tail wags the dog my friend. In the interest of political correctness, and a fear of loosing one vote, all of our politicians have sold their souls. And now we will have Joe Biden heading a committee on gun control. I remember his behavior during the VP debate, and I question his abilities. Obama put the clown prince of Washington DC in charge. God help us. I agree, we MUST keep all weapons out of the hands of the mentally challenged. It has never been about the weapon, Its about the person pulling the trigger!
Lets see what the NRA has to say tomorrow.
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<First Thought>

5:00 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
I'm not sure we're going to like it. When this happened, the NRA effectively went dark for days after the incident when they should have been engaging the public more than ever. They sorely mishandled it and now it seems they are going to make a concession from all the public opinion momentum the anti-gun lobby has leveraged from the situation
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Joe

6:53 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hey <First; As for the NRA being silent. They are to issue a statement on Friday. I don't think a week is unreasonable. Any statement has to be extremely sensitive for the sake of all the victims and families.
Our current Sec of State H.C. continues to be silent and do the same thing when it comes to Benghazi. She has been hiding for months. Now she has a stomach ache and a concussion while she distances herself from having to testify. Give me a break. Anyone who has ever been subpoenaed to testify in any proceeding knows better. Her plan is to hide out until 2016. Is that the kind of moral fiber we want on the presidential ticket. There is the sin of commission and the sin of omission. We must start holding our politicians responsible for their actions and inaction's as well.

<First Thought>

4:51 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
What happened was horrific without a doubt. As the details of what happened come to light, it becomes obvious that all this stemmed from a mother's brainles decison to introduce who she knew to be mentaly-unstable to guns. At that point, Lanza was a time bomb ticking down.
In light of it all, some may demand more gun control. They bring up other incidents like Columbine, Virginia Tech, and Red Lake and how it never could have happened without guns. It somewhat makes sense. After all, it's undeniable that guns give a person a terrible capacity for instant violence. However you start to wonder when you hear of things like the Oklahoma City bombing, and the two attacks on the WTC. No guns involved, yet where theres an evil will, theres an evil way. It's now established that massacres can occur without a gun.
This falls apart further when you hear of other incidents such as Pearl High School,
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<First Thought>

4:51 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Appalacian Law School, the Muskegon Shooting, and to Virginia Golden Food shooting. All of them stories of armed average-joes either averting or stopping cold a massacre. What if someone at Sandy hook was armed? If it is anything like history, there would be far fewer tears shed. Heck, even if it diddn't turn out so well, at least there was a fighting chance and not a bloody wolf amongst the sheep. In massacre situations, it's undeniable that armed people are safe people.
Even in light of everything just said, why not make laws against a 30-rd magazine or a pistol grip or an assault gadget? 1) For the same reasons gun-free zones are frowned upon: Because it only handicapps the law-abiding and helps the criminal. They care nothing for the law, as Lanza and those like him have tragicly proven. 2) The war on drugs? Alcohol Prohibition? do we really need to give more addage to the phrase "History has shown that people don't learn from history."?
In my opinion, we should either arm teachers, or all principles and assitant principles. This was done in Thailand and Israel to good effect so far. Criminals and sickoes will be far less inclined to pull such a stunt knowing that his prey can shoot back.
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Michael Taustine

5:37 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
This country had no problem infringing on constitutional rights when it came to implementing the Patriot Act. That came as an over reaction to the 9/11 attacks. Not very likely we will have a repeat of that, but everyone's constitutional rights have been abrogated as a result. It looks like the gun rights people had better brace themselves for the inevitable overreaction.
Or.....
....common sense might be employed for a change, Maybe a consensus that the current state of gun use, and unregulated ownership can be adjusted to mitigate the frequent recurrence of these massacres. It seems like the only reasonable path, but banking on common sense hasn't proved to be a good bet in this country these days. The over reaction is looking inevitable.
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ed

8:12 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Its amazing that in anti gun areas like Chicago, DC,and NYC have the highest gun murder rates! Guns keep the criminals away! Drugs are illegal.....amazing they are everywhere! If they ban assault weapons it will be the next gold rush for the black market of weapons! We'll also be destroying American jobs!
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Michael Taustine

9:21 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
That is always offered up as a well received bromide, but if guns keep criminals away, how could there be high rates of gun crime anywhere? It would seem to be a logical impossibility, but clearly that's not the fact at all.
Crime is everywhere, and where there are guns, there will be gun crime. Gun crime happens to be particularly heinous, and we should look to common sense remedies in dealing with it. Mass murder can not be tolerated.
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ed

12:04 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
@Mike if you make guns illegal it will go to the black market just like drugs. Its not guns that are the problem....Drugs made by BIG PHARMA are to blame for this....this is just governments problem-reaction-solution to control us.
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Michael Taustine

12:29 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
The government can only control us when we've been factionalized to the point that nothing can get done. Who benefits from the intractable clashes between pro and anti gun groups? From pro and anti union? From liberal and conservative? All that results from this is that the powerful remain in control, nothing useful happens to advance our society, and problems fester unendingly.
When this generation dies out over the coming years, perhaps the next group will fare better. We are witnessing an example of this right now in the realm of gay marriage/rights. The march toward equality is inexorable, hindered needlessly by the biases of the dying generation. Obstructing the inevitable just wastes years. We've seen it before in the 1950's-1960's with civil rights. Decades wasted while the country waits for the intransigent to die out to get to a point that makes the past seem laughably idiotic.
It's likely to be the same with guns. How long it takes is just a measurement of the selfishness and immaturity of our society.
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