Friday, October 6, 2017

Las Vegas Shootings And Gun-Laws

Whenever there is a crime involving firearms, anywhere in the U.S., the progressives start screaming for more gun control.  They don't really mean some mystical method of reducing death by gunfire, they really mean disarming the American citizens.

And so it is with Las Vegas.  As it turns out, the madman  (Stephen Paddock) broke neither Federal nor state gun laws

The progressives cry, "Oh, if we just required everyone to get a background check".   Federal law does require every gun purchaser to have a background check!  According to the BATFE, Mr. Paddock passed the background check in four different states for a total of 47 times. For the record, Gun Shows are not exempt from background checking.

 "If only mental heath was part of the background check".  That is a valid point.  However, it is not the NRA fighting this check, it is blocked by Federal HIPAA law.  However, the FBI has found no evidence that Paddock had any history of mental issues.

Twelve of the semiautomatic rifles used in the attack were equipped with a device called a 'bump stock'.   These devices do not turn the rifle into an automatic rifle and they do not increase the rate of fire.  In reality, they let an amateur shoot as fast as a expert.   Several reporters were aghast that the rifles might attain a rate of fire as high as 800 rounds per minute.  These rates of fire need to be put into context.   The magazine can be emptied at that rate for a 30 round magazine in 2.25 seconds.  Then a new magazine is needed.  An expert, under ideal conditions, can reach around 150 rounds per minute.

Automatic firearms were banned in 1934.  It would seem that the 'bump stock' does violate the intent of the 1934 ban and it is doubtful that there would be much opposition to banning the devices.  There are other devices that accomplish the same effect.  Any new regulation or law should be crafted to encompass all such devices. 

The number of firearms and rounds of ammunition in a home are not nearly as sinister as the media would have you believe.  This writer was a firearms and hunter safety instructor for 50 years.  During that time we often had as 50 or more firearms, often more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition, and perhaps 10 pounds of gunpowder.

A word on "silencers".  That well known expert, Hillary, claimed that if the Las Vegas shooter had a "silencer", the police would not have been able to detect him.  Contrary to what you have seen in the movies, suppressers ("silencer" is a Hollywood made-up name) do not make gun shot quiet.  They only lower the peak sound impulse.  The effect is very much like motorcycles with and without the baffle removed from the tailpipe.  The Suppresser Bill currently in Congress is a health bill intended to protect hearing.
  
Before we once again start screaming about a magic gun-law that does not exist, lets examine some facts:

In the U.S., there are 30,000 firearm related deaths per year.

On June 22, 2016, the U.S. population was 324,059,091. Do the math:  0.000000925% (slightly less than one in a million) of the population dies from gun related causes per year. 
Statistically speaking, this is insignificant! 

 Those 30,000 deaths.  Occur as follows:

  .       65%  of those deaths are by suicide (which no law would prevent)

   .      15%  are by law enforcement in the line of duty and justified

   .       17%  are through criminal activity– gun violence

    .      3%  are accidental

Firearm deaths to "gun violence" are not 30,000 annually, but are actually 5,100 or 1/6 of the total.

Well, first, how are those deaths spanned across the nation?

        480 homicides (9.4%) in Chicago 
             344  homicides (6.7%) in Baltimore
             333 homicides (6.5%) in Detroit
             119 homicides (2.3%) in Washington D.C. (a 54% increase)

Twenty-five percent (25%) of all gun crime happens in just 4 cities. 
All 4 of those cities have very strict gun laws, so it is not the lack of laws.
All 4 of these cities are also Sanctuary Cities.

In a recent year, criminal firearm deaths by state ranged from 1 in Alabama to 1,169 in California.   The national average was about 75.

California (now a Sanctuary State) accounted for 31% of the total while at the same time, having the strictest gun-laws in the country.  Clearly, it is not a lack of gun-laws causing these deaths.

The Progressives (a.k.a. Democrats) make no secret of the fact that they want to end private ownership of all firearms.

The question is why?

The simple answer:Taking away guns gives "control" to governments.

The Founding Father knew that regardless of the form of government, those in power may become corrupt and seek to rule just as King George attempted to do by disarming the colonist.  It is not difficult to understand that a disarmed populace is a "controlled" populace.

Thus, the second amendment was proudly and boldly included in the U.S. Constitution. It must be preserved at all costs!

So the next time someone tries to tell you that gun control is about saving lives, look at these facts and remember these words from Noah Webster:

"Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe.

The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword, because the whole body of the people are armed and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States. A military force at the command of Congress can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power.”

When it comes to "gun control," the important word is "control," not "gun.”


Comments are invited!
Send feedback to:  WatchDog

4 comments:

Tigg said...

Very well thought-out!

And factual.

Good job.

AliceZ said...


I'm a Democrat and Life member of the NRA.

100% AGREE WITH YOU.

Jannet1975 said...

Where is the outrage over Chicago where they slaughter nearly 50 every weekend?

There are official statistics that indicate that about 1,000,000 crimes per year are thwarted my firearms in the hands of private citizens. There is no way of determining how many of those acts save lives, but you can bet that the number is high. This a fantastic argument for increasing the number of concealed carry permits.

Anonymous said...

This does not relate to anything in this very good blog, but does relate to public dialog on this issue.

One question!
How in the hell is the shooting of 500 people who are predominately white by a white madman racist?