Dana Gould On NRA, Take My Freedoms As Long As I Can Keep My Gun

On Real Time with Bill Maher, guest Dana Gould made a great point about guns and the NRA. While not all of their members are on the fringe, many that are help control the agenda. Sadly, that agenda is perfectly fine with taking the rights away that those guns were supposedly meant to protect.

Obama Backing Off Assault Weapons Ban?

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs certainly gives off the impression that in spite of all the violence we've seen in this country (especially last week) that the NRA still rules the roost in Washington when it comes to smart gun control laws. The always-fearless Helen Thomas asks the tough questions:

In America, Guns Are Used More For Suicide Than Homicide

The majority in the Supreme Court might have thought they were protecting the Second Amendment last week with their controversial ruling, but the evidence across the country shows us something the NRA would rather keep hidden. Far from the myth that guns in the home protect citizens from mortal danger, the reality is that having a gun in the house increases the chance of a suicide or homicide in the home.

From RawStory:

ATLANTA - The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves.

Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There was nothing unique about that year — gun-related suicides have outnumbered firearm homicides and accidents for 20 of the last 25 years. In 2005, homicides accounted for 40 percent of gun deaths. Accidents accounted for 3 percent. The remaining 2 percent included legal killings, such as when police do the shooting, and cases that involve undetermined intent.

Public-health researchers have concluded that in homes where guns are present, the likelihood that someone in the home will die from suicide or homicide is much greater.

In fact, as the article states, crime was reduced after the D.C. ban was instated over 30 years ago. Unfortunately the strength of groups like the NRA have cut into gun control largely thanks to the conservative ideology that has run rampant in our country. Now that the courts have more and more "thinkers" like Antonio Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, we can expect more decisions like this in the future...regardless of the facts in each case.

Huckabee Jokes About Obama Getting Shot At

Ex-Governor Mike Huckabee really is something else. Even though he was kicked out of the race for the GOP nomination, he is still in the political light here and there. Today he was speaking in front of the gun nuts at the NRA and damn, did he make a terrible reference to their favorite product.

From CNN:

(CNN) – During a speech before the National Rifle Association convention Friday afternoon in Louisville, Kentucky, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee — who has endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain — joked that an unexpected offstage noise was Democrat Barack Obama looking to avoid a gunman.

“That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair, he's getting ready to speak,” said the former Arkansas governor, to audience laughter. “Somebody aimed a gun at him and he dove for the floor.”

Ha.......ha.

Joking about an assassination attempt on Barack Obama is beneath someone on the national stage. It is appalling to see Huckabee making fun of such an event. Imagine if the shoes were on the other feet and a Democratic figure made a joke about George Bush in the same fashion. How fast would Hannity, O'Reilly and the rest of Fox News jump down the throat of all Democratic party members everywhere.

Huckabee should be rebuked and admonished for his statements. Though in Republican-land, none of that matters because double-standards are their status quo.

Rudy's Call: On A Short Leash...Or Just A Staged Act?

I guess it is up to your individual gut reaction, but what serious politician would take a phone call while giving a speech in front of the NRA or any other group. It seems to me like he wants to be seen as sweet and endearing, but when it comes to Giuliani's record, those emotions are far from how he treats his constituents.

My Guns Are Bigger Than Your Guns

You won't find Democrats participating at NRA events, but thankfully we have Republicans to go and entertain us with the machismo. McCain was actually in good form as he strutted his stuff in front of the gun lobby. McCain embraced the machines that kill 11,000 Americans every year and consistently put Giuliani down for not loving guns as much as he does.

From The Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate John McCain lobbed a thinly veiled attack at fellow rival Rudy Giuliani, describing the former mayor's "devious" attempt with a lawsuit "to bankrupt our great gun manufacturers."

Giuliani said he preferred to focus on the lion's share of issues on which he and the National Rifle Association agree.

Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., and the former New York mayor are among several officials speaking Friday at a National Rifle Association conference.

In his prepared speech, McCain refers to a lawsuit by Giuliani and other mayors against the gun industry, to Giuliani's shifting Second Amendment position and to Giuliani's use of the term "extremists" in relation to the NRA.

Wow, I think me and Rudy might agree on something. Too bad he called them extremists eleven years ago before he switched all of his positions to appeal to the conservative right. Back then he actually liked to prosecute gun manufacturers so that he would look tough on crime.

I wonder what those extremists think of him now.

The NRA Goes Too Far, And Then Some

The NRA is an interesting organization. It raises tons of money to lobby for gun rights and all things related to the second amendment. The right for people to keep and bear arms is the essential part of the text for them. Organized militias are a thing of the past and are generally frowned upon, except in certain rural areas of the country. The NRA loves to come out and lobby for guns and their owners, particularly at terrible times that relate to murder. The current example would be the massacre at Virginia Tech.

Well a few days ago Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced the "Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2007." This bill gives the Justice Department the authority to restrict gun sales to known terrorists. The Bush Administration and particularly Alberto Gonzales greedily gobbled up the potential power and is backing the bill. The problem for the Administration is that their backers over at the NRA are appalled at losing even a little bit of their gun rights, even for the terrorists that share their love of guns.

Throughout the whole U.S. Attorney scandal, most of these people stayed silent as Gonzales' remained steadfast in his denial that he did anything wrong when he let eight attorneys be fired for political purposes. Now that he is backing S.1237, they are calling for his head. Well at least the gun nuts and the left can agree on the fact that Gonzales should be canned. Too bad for them that our reasoning is on more solid moral ground. Letting terrorists buy guns due to loopholes in the law isn't really the best thing for the security of our nation, something the NRA doesn't seem to care about.