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Recently, after the tragedies of criminals getting access to illegally possessed firearms and committing heinous crimes with them, there has been a hue and cry for the banishment of evil, black, pistol-gripped, bayonet lugged, flash suppressor adorned, sinister looking semi-automatic sporting rifles and their accompanying more-than-ten-round magazines. This call for bans is also being trumpeted by the members of the uneducated media and their so-called journalists. Through their rose-colored glasses, the media has decided that these AR-15 style of rifles and the so-called high capacity magazines must be banished from this earth forever in order to make sure that these terrible tragedies never occur again. This has been an on-going attack on law-abiding firearm owners for many years that are now being brought to a head after the recent spate of shootings by unbalanced criminals with illegally obtained firearms.
Never one to miss a ratings opportunity, playing on the hearts and minds of non-critical thinking individuals, the media has chosen to blame the gun as the root of all evil. The terms military-style weapons, weapons of war, high capacity magazines, powerful rifle, and assault rifle are the latest buzzwords being bandied about by the media. All used for a dramatic flair. A recent example of this was an episode of MSNBCs Meet the Press with host David Gregory taped in Washington D.C. In a contentious interview with Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association, Gregory picked up and displayed a 30 round magazine for an AR style rifle and in his words, so here is a magazine that carries 30 bullets. Now isnt it possible, if we got rid of these isnt it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?
Opps! Big mistake. Washington D.C. already has the utopia he was asking for. According to the laws of the District of Columbia;
7-2506.01. Persons permitted to possess ammunition.
(b) No person in the District shall possess, sell, or transfer any large capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. For the purposes of this subsection, the term large capacity ammunition feeding device means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The term large capacity ammunition feeding device shall not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.
So by picking it up, displaying it and announcing it as a thirty round magazine, not as a replica or an inert training device but as the Real McCoy, David Gregory broke the law. Now the plot thickens a little more. According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the producers at NBC contacted them and explained their intent to display a high capacity magazine on their show and requested assistance in providing one for them. The Metropolitan Police Department, politely, clearly, and succinctly informed the producer that possession of a magazine of that type was prohibited in D.C. and their request was denied. So not to be denied his chance for a dramatic piece of shock journalism, Gregory shows up with one anyway.
So now, Gregory is in hot water because enough e-mails from citizens to the Metropolitan P.D. asking what they are going to do about this blatant breach of law has forced them to start an investigation. I find this episode to be humorous, hypocritical, and highly ironic all at the same time. Naturally, all of his brethren pundits have rushed to his side saying that this is silly and nonsensical. Fox News Greta Van Susteren derided the police investigation as a waste of resources. CNN's Howard Kurtz says "Gregory had no intent to commit a crime; he was committing journalism instead. Well guys, I kinda gotta agree with you. (except fot the journalism part) But remember, its what you wanted.
This situation is exactly the kind of repercussions that happen when stupid laws are enacted. Is it a waste of resources? You bet it is. But it has been forced upon Metro P.D. to act on it because it is a clear violation of a written law. Did he have intent to commit a crime? The BS flag really comes up on that one. You bet he did. He asked to use a 30 round magazine, was told no, it is prohibited to posses one and then went out and aquired one anyway and waved it around on national TV. Kurtz asks Gun owners often say they want the government to leave them alone; why then are some clamoring for Gregory to be prosecuted?" Well Howie, were pissed and you could say were looking for a pound of flesh. For years we have been fighting against the erosion of our civil liberties that are supposed to be protected under the 2nd and 10th, Ammendment of our Constitution. If I went out and broke the law in such a flagrant manner such as Gregory did, Id be getting a free ride-along with the police only in the back seat with a SWAT team escort. Why should he not be held to the same level of accountability for his action just the same as me? I certainly hope that Gregory gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law so he can become the poster child for ill-concieved and unrealistic gun laws. Granted, his fine would end up no different than what he would have spent for a nice dinner party at Marcels but at least he would have the stigma of being convicted of a gun-related crime. Oh the horror . To be convicted of possessing an empty magazine.
You see how stupid these laws are on so many different levels?
- Its an empty magazine, in and of itself it cant do anything but yet its a crime to possess one.
- That ban for illegal possession of high capacity magazines must really work well. It sure stopped Gregory from carrying it into the D.C. studio didnt it?
- In fact, the Clinton era ban on high capacity magazines worked out so well that in 1999, five years after the ban took effect, one of the Columbine shooters just used thirteen 10 round magazines for 96 shots instead of 5 thirty round magazines.
- Lets just say a community enacts a ban similar to D.C.s out of knee-jerk reaction. What then happens to all the law-abiding citizens of that community that have these magazines in their collections who just became criminals by the mere stroke of a pen?
- AR style rifles arent the only rifles that use magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Ever hear of a Ruger 10-22?
But the media keeps pounding away using all the buzzwords trying to conjure up negative connotations for legally possessed firearms and their accessories like military style weapons and assault weapons. I am so sick and tired of the term. Let me tell you assault is a behavior, not a weapon. But if you insist that it is a weapon, lets define the term a little better. An assault weapon is a fist. It is a steak knife, a baseball bat. It can even be a golf club. You can ask Tiger Woods ex-wife Elin Nordegren Woods about that. Really? A 3-iron assault club? You wont hear about those because theyre not black, they dont have a pistol grip, they arent magazine fed, they dont have a muzzle brake, and they dont come with a bayonet lug. Nope, a 3-iron assault club just doesnt sound sexy enough. It almost sounds dumb. As dumb as the law David Gregory broke.
Never one to miss a ratings opportunity, playing on the hearts and minds of non-critical thinking individuals, the media has chosen to blame the gun as the root of all evil. The terms military-style weapons, weapons of war, high capacity magazines, powerful rifle, and assault rifle are the latest buzzwords being bandied about by the media. All used for a dramatic flair. A recent example of this was an episode of MSNBCs Meet the Press with host David Gregory taped in Washington D.C. In a contentious interview with Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association, Gregory picked up and displayed a 30 round magazine for an AR style rifle and in his words, so here is a magazine that carries 30 bullets. Now isnt it possible, if we got rid of these isnt it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?
Opps! Big mistake. Washington D.C. already has the utopia he was asking for. According to the laws of the District of Columbia;
7-2506.01. Persons permitted to possess ammunition.
(b) No person in the District shall possess, sell, or transfer any large capacity ammunition feeding device regardless of whether the device is attached to a firearm. For the purposes of this subsection, the term large capacity ammunition feeding device means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The term large capacity ammunition feeding device shall not include an attached tubular device designed to accept, and capable of operating only with, .22 caliber rimfire ammunition.
So by picking it up, displaying it and announcing it as a thirty round magazine, not as a replica or an inert training device but as the Real McCoy, David Gregory broke the law. Now the plot thickens a little more. According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the producers at NBC contacted them and explained their intent to display a high capacity magazine on their show and requested assistance in providing one for them. The Metropolitan Police Department, politely, clearly, and succinctly informed the producer that possession of a magazine of that type was prohibited in D.C. and their request was denied. So not to be denied his chance for a dramatic piece of shock journalism, Gregory shows up with one anyway.
So now, Gregory is in hot water because enough e-mails from citizens to the Metropolitan P.D. asking what they are going to do about this blatant breach of law has forced them to start an investigation. I find this episode to be humorous, hypocritical, and highly ironic all at the same time. Naturally, all of his brethren pundits have rushed to his side saying that this is silly and nonsensical. Fox News Greta Van Susteren derided the police investigation as a waste of resources. CNN's Howard Kurtz says "Gregory had no intent to commit a crime; he was committing journalism instead. Well guys, I kinda gotta agree with you. (except fot the journalism part) But remember, its what you wanted.
This situation is exactly the kind of repercussions that happen when stupid laws are enacted. Is it a waste of resources? You bet it is. But it has been forced upon Metro P.D. to act on it because it is a clear violation of a written law. Did he have intent to commit a crime? The BS flag really comes up on that one. You bet he did. He asked to use a 30 round magazine, was told no, it is prohibited to posses one and then went out and aquired one anyway and waved it around on national TV. Kurtz asks Gun owners often say they want the government to leave them alone; why then are some clamoring for Gregory to be prosecuted?" Well Howie, were pissed and you could say were looking for a pound of flesh. For years we have been fighting against the erosion of our civil liberties that are supposed to be protected under the 2nd and 10th, Ammendment of our Constitution. If I went out and broke the law in such a flagrant manner such as Gregory did, Id be getting a free ride-along with the police only in the back seat with a SWAT team escort. Why should he not be held to the same level of accountability for his action just the same as me? I certainly hope that Gregory gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law so he can become the poster child for ill-concieved and unrealistic gun laws. Granted, his fine would end up no different than what he would have spent for a nice dinner party at Marcels but at least he would have the stigma of being convicted of a gun-related crime. Oh the horror . To be convicted of possessing an empty magazine.
You see how stupid these laws are on so many different levels?
- Its an empty magazine, in and of itself it cant do anything but yet its a crime to possess one.
- That ban for illegal possession of high capacity magazines must really work well. It sure stopped Gregory from carrying it into the D.C. studio didnt it?
- In fact, the Clinton era ban on high capacity magazines worked out so well that in 1999, five years after the ban took effect, one of the Columbine shooters just used thirteen 10 round magazines for 96 shots instead of 5 thirty round magazines.
- Lets just say a community enacts a ban similar to D.C.s out of knee-jerk reaction. What then happens to all the law-abiding citizens of that community that have these magazines in their collections who just became criminals by the mere stroke of a pen?
- AR style rifles arent the only rifles that use magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Ever hear of a Ruger 10-22?
But the media keeps pounding away using all the buzzwords trying to conjure up negative connotations for legally possessed firearms and their accessories like military style weapons and assault weapons. I am so sick and tired of the term. Let me tell you assault is a behavior, not a weapon. But if you insist that it is a weapon, lets define the term a little better. An assault weapon is a fist. It is a steak knife, a baseball bat. It can even be a golf club. You can ask Tiger Woods ex-wife Elin Nordegren Woods about that. Really? A 3-iron assault club? You wont hear about those because theyre not black, they dont have a pistol grip, they arent magazine fed, they dont have a muzzle brake, and they dont come with a bayonet lug. Nope, a 3-iron assault club just doesnt sound sexy enough. It almost sounds dumb. As dumb as the law David Gregory broke.
A golf course is a horrible waste of a good rifle range.
