The Maine Assault

By Jeff Knox

(September 10, 2015) Mike Bloomberg’s minions – and his money – have flooded into the state of Maine in recent weeks, launching a massive assault on the rights of Maine gun owners.  Bloomberg, through his subsidiary groups, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, has launched a petition drive to get a background check and registration initiative on the ballot for the 2016 elections.  The groups are hiring teams of professional signature gatherers to collect the 61,123 signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot, and have vowed to do “whatever it takes” to accomplish their goals. 

Since making firearm restrictions one of his pet projects, Bloomberg has demonstrated that “whatever it takes” isn’t just a propaganda slogan, but an actual commitment.  So far that “whatever it takes” has included over $100 million in misleading advertising, distorted “research,” campaign contributions, and professional lobbyists.  When the Bloomies say “whatever it takes,” they mean “whatever,” including lying, exploiting tragedies, and selling out their principles in order to get their way.  If they succeed with the petitions, the next step will be millions more spent to convince Maine voters to throw away their rights, and then on to the next state to repeat the process.

A similar proposal was passed last year in Washington State, with Bloomberg and his billionaire pals ponying up over $10 million dollars to make it a criminal act to even loan a gun to a friend without first paying a fee and getting a government permission slip.  They then gathered enough signatures to put their restrictive bill on the 2016 ballot in Nevada, and managed to push their legislation through the Oregon House and Senate.  In Nevada, Bloomberg paid signature gatherers as much as $5.00 per signature to get the numbers they needed, and many of those same, Bloomberg-paid signature gatherers were also collecting signatures on petitions to get a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot – a measure that Bloomberg has vocally opposed and called “stupid.”

An effort was begun earlier this year to bring the restrictive initiative to Arizona, but after establishing a presence in the state, and laying some groundwork, the effort appears to have stalled for the moment.  It looks like Bloomberg’s advisors have determined that the political climate and initiative laws in Maine are more favorable.  Arizona has often been identified as the most “gun-friendly” state in the country, and that position has been earned with the well-organized efforts of grassroots groups like the Arizona Citizens Defense League, the Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association, numerous shooting clubs, and a robust firearm and firearm-related industry.  And unlike many states, activists in Arizona generally work well together and cooperate rather than competing.

On the other side of the country, Maine is in a very different situation.  While the state has historically enjoyed both minimal gun control laws and very low crime rates, it’s close to bastions of gun control like New York and Massachusetts, and has seen major shifts in its political base as young natives leave to find better jobs in other states while well-heeled refugees from heavily restrictive states have migrated to the fresh air and freedom of The Pine Tree State.  There has also been a major influx of immigrants from Somalia and Central Africa, bringing with them different cultural values and widespread perceptions of increased crime and violence.  Of course, like migrants everywhere, many of the new residents are determined to establish the same sort of laws and restrictions that they are familiar with from their home regions. 

Perhaps most importantly, Maine, like Nevada, has never had a strong network of Second Amendment advocates.  They hadn’t really needed them.  The organizations that do exist in the state are either old-line hook-and-bullet “sportsmen” groups with little taste or skill for the political arena, or newer groups just getting established.  The emerging leader of the rights movement in Maine is the group Gun Owners of Maine, which has made some impressive progress in the legislative arena – this year successfully pushing a “Constitutional Carry” law repealing requirements for government permits to legally carry a concealed firearm – but they are a young organization with limited resources, relatively small membership and mailing lists, and little experience with public relations or political campaigns.

The Firearms Coalition has been active in anti-Bloomberg strategy and coalition building in Nevada and Arizona, and is helping groups in Maine as well, but these battles must be fought and won by the people who will suffer under the laws that are passed.  That means that groups like Gun Owners of Maine must rise to the challenge and lead the charge.

Facing Bloomberg’s billions and his skilled team of professional PR flaks is a daunting challenge, but it must be done, and it must start now.  Lovers of freedom need to be ready to reveal Bloomberg’s carpetbagging deceivers for what they are.  Mainers cannot count on an outside organization like the NRA to ride in and save the day.  They have to step up, get involved, and defend their rights.  Gun Owners of Maine is a good place to start.  The group is already coordinating with other organizations around the state, and across the country, to meet the Bloomberg threat head-on.  Readers interested in helping with this fight should visit GunOwnersofMaine.org and provide whatever support you can.

Win or lose, Bloomberg and his ilk are not going to give up with Maine, they are going to keep pushing their repressive agenda at every opportunity and in every state.  But with each victory they grow stronger, and with each defeat, they are weakened.  If we can beat them back in Maine, we have a better chance of stopping them when they try to push their restrictive policies in your state.  Don’t wait for someone else to do it.  Stand up.

More Misguided “Solutions”

By Jeff Knox

(September 2, 2015) Once again a disturbed, disgruntled, deviant with a chip on his shoulder has chosen to make himself famous by killing people, and once again the media, politicians, and some heartbroken family members of the victims are using the tragedy to call for “solutions” that can’t work to prevent such tragedies, and only hurt the innocent.

This time the culprit was a homosexual, African American, self-avowed racist who considered himself a victim.  In retribution for perceived slights from former colleagues at a Virginia TV station, the murderer decided to create a media sensation by committing his crimes on live television.  But that wasn’t enough.  To be sure that his act would be seen and replayed as much as possible, he also videoed the entire thing himself, including the actual act of shooting.  He then posted that video, along with long lists of the “wrongs” he had suffered, to social media.

As is The Firearms Coalition’s longstanding policy, I will not mention the name of the murderer, and will only refer to him in the derogatory terms his actions have earned.  When the clear, and often openly stated objective of committing a heinous act is to generate media, and make the culprit famous, we believe it is irresponsible for the media to fulfill those desires.  If more media would adopt a similar position, we might see less of this sort of infamy-seeking.

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The Illegal Alien Licensing Loophole

By Jeff Knox

(August 18, 2015) A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the problem of the “Gun Free Zone” loophole, which disarms the law-abiding (who are a threat to no one, and a possible deterrent/protection for innocents) while doing nothing to prevent bad guys and lunatics from carrying and using guns in those areas.  Continuing on the theme of loopholes, which is such a popular term among rights restrictors, I want to address another dangerous loophole that puts us all at greater risk: The Illegal Alien Licensing loophole.

Illegal aliens,or undocumented migrants, are people who reside in this country illegally, whether they sneak across the border in the dark of night or overstay a student or tourist visa. There are an estimated 11 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants in this country, and that’s a conservative estimate.  Among the many things these people are not supposed to be able to do here is purchase or possess firearms or ammunition.  They are also not supposed to vote in our elections.

In recent years, several states have attempted to enact laws requiring voters to provide a government-issued photo ID in order to register or vote as a way to prevent illegal multiple votes, votes from dead people, and voting by people who do not have the right to vote, such as unauthorized immigrants.  These voter ID laws have been tagged “voter supression” laws and met with lawsuits alleging that they are the equivalent of the Jim Crow era poll tax because, detractors say, the underprivileged and elderly, especially within minority communities, might have problems obtaining a government ID, thus preventing them from voting.  At the same time, the same groups – “progressive” Democrats – see nothing wrong with requiring government-issued ID, a raft of intrusive questions, paperwork, and a criminal background investigation every time a person wishes to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to purchase a firearm.

Continue reading The Illegal Alien Licensing Loophole →

Chattanooga Defenders Exemplify Civil Disobedience 

By Jeff Knox

(August 4, 2015) When former congressman Allen West reported that the Navy planned to bring charges against Lieutenant Commander Timothy White for possessing and using his personal firearm against the terrorist who attacked his Chattanooga, Tennessee Naval Reserve Center last month, the story went viral.  On Monday, the Navy denied the story, first insisting that no charges had been filed, then allowing “unnamed officials” to make statements that charges are unlikely in the case.

Whether the Navy ever planned to bring charges, or if their apparent decision not to do so was motivated by the public outrage to the idea, will probably never be known.  In either case, West’s raising of the issue, and the public loudly weighing in on it, was useful and productive.  It serves as a good reminder to the Washington elites that there are some lines that they had better not even think about crossing.  Unfortunately, it will take years to know how Lt. Cmdr. White’s brave choice – to be armed in defiance of regulations – and bold action – exchanging gunfire with the terrorist – will affect his military career.  Odds are that, even if the Navy doesn’t prosecute, or even issues some sort of commendation for his actions that day, there will also likely be some official reprimand that will derail his naval career.

Lt. Cmdr. White was apparently not the only military member present who chose to ignore orders to disarm.  Reports say that one of the Marines killed by the terrorist was also armed with a Glock 9mm.  Whether either White or the Marine actually hit the terrorist with their shots is unknown.  It is likely that the local police, who were credited with finally killing the terrorist, were also using 9mm handguns, so positively identifying which guns fired the bullets that struck the terrorist could be impossible.  But whether Lt. Cmdr. White or the Marine hit the terrorist or not, their actions almost certainly disrupted and slowed the terrorist, very probably saving lives.  Had the terrorist not fired at the recruiting station before driving to the reserve center, initiating pursuit by the police, he would have had plenty of time to execute everyone at the center, with only White and the Marine, with their unauthorized weapons, to stand in his way.

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No One Wants to Take Our Guns!

By Jeff Knox

(July 29, 2015) If you follow the rights issue at all, you have undoubtedly seen claims from members of the anti-rights crowd insisting that “No one wants to take your guns!”  We’ve heard this for years – decades – as enemies of liberty have leveled a ceaseless barrage of attacks on our rights.  The drum-beat got particularly loud during Obama’s first presidential election, and has continued to gain volume and intensity since then.  Included in the meme is the idea that gun owners are paranoid, being misled by the “gun lobby,” usually misidentified as the NRA.  The “gun lobby” is accused of irrational fearmongering, seeing threats where none exist, and fighting against “reasonable, common-sense, gun violence prevention efforts,” all for the sake of protecting the outrageous profits of the massive firearms industry.

I’ve recently read several pieces from very different sources all repeating the exact same talking-points, loudly proclaiming this “truth,” and berating “gun huggers,” “ammosexuals,” and good old-fashioned “gun nuts” for intransigence in the face of the prohibitionists’ self-declared non-threat.  The language they use is much too similar to be coincidence.  They are clearly working from the same playbook, but some can’t help allowing some actual truth to slip into their rants.

In recent pieces, several writers insistently repeated the mantra: “No one wants to take away your guns,” or “Obama isn’t trying to take your guns,” in bold-faced capital letters with plenty of underlining and exclamation points for emphasis, followed by some statement that all they want to do is “keep dangerous weapons away from dangerous people,” and ban “assault weapons,” automatic and semi-automatic firearms, “high-capacity magazines,” and other weapons most frequently used by mass murderers and criminals.

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No Guns for Social Security Recipients?

By Jeff Knox

The Los Angeles Times reported in July that the Obama administration is pushing a plan to submit the names of up 4.2 million recipients of Social Security benefits to the FBI’s National Instant Check System.  People in NICS are not just barred from purchasing firearms, they are “prohibited persons” for whom possession of firearms and ammunition is illegal under the Gun Control Act.  It is a felony for them to be in possession or have access to firearms or ammunition under any circumstances, and it is a felony for anyone to knowingly allow a prohibited person access to a firearm or ammunition.

The law regarding “prohibited persons” has become increasingly broad since its adoption in 1968.  It was originally intended to restrict violent felons, fugitives, people with dangerous mental disorders, and others who pose a significant threat to public safety, but in fact took away the rights of many non-violent offenders and people who would not be considered dangerous.  With the addition of the Lautenberg Amendment in the 1990s, the prohibition was expanded to include anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.  Under this provision, a wife fined $25 for slapping a cheating husband’s face is barred from possession of firearms for life.

The law (USC Title 18, Section 922, subsection g.) says anyone “who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution,” is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. 

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