The Replica Prop Forum
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Saturday, August 7, 2021
Friday, August 6, 2021
Gun Owners Demonstrate Why Chipman’s Contempt Is Disqualifying - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- First-time gun owners are making it loud and clear. They won’t sit around and wait to be a criminal’s victim. That’s not all they’re doing.
New gun owners are filling up gun ranges and classrooms to learn to use their firearms. It’s a rebuke of David Chipman’s portrayal of them. Chipman, of course, is President Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and he reduced new gun buyers to rubes who are clueless about the responsibilities of gun ownership.
David Chipman mocked first-time gun buyers in 2020, likening them to Joe Exotic, the “Tiger King,” and saying they more closely resemble zombie apocalypse preppers.
Gun owners are defying his stereotype. They’re busy getting educated and trained.
Standing Room Only
During his U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Chipman was drilled about his statements bemoaning new gun owners who, “went out to the gun store and bought a gun with no training whatsoever.” He said they were likely to “hide their guns behind the cans of tuna and beef jerky that you’ve stored in the cabinet, and only bring that out if the zombies start to appear.” When pushed by senators, he sheepishly walked it back.
In 2020, firearm retailer data showed 40 percent of gun buyers were first-time buyers, more than 8.4 million. This year, gun sale numbers remain consistent and one thing’s clear. Buyers are seeking training and practice.
Geneva Solomon, the owner of Redstone Firearms, described what she saw on the ground. New buyers are flocking to safety and training courses. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick in the class options we offer,” Solomon said. “Before they would never sell out. Now they sell out two days after we post them.” Customers are white, Black, Asian, and Hispanic and Solomon says their goal is to calm the nerves of first-time buyers so they’re comfortable in class.
Click the link to read the whole article: Gun Owners DemonstrateLast Push Needed for Comments on ATF Rule Change ~ “What’s a Firearm” - Ammoland.com
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Time is running out on the Comment Period for the BATFE’s proposed changes to the definitions of “Firearms,” “Frames and Receivers,” and the marking of same.
In short, the proposed regulations would define as a “firearm” the upper receiver or slide of a firearm, as well as the barrel of a firearm, and possibly other parts, all at ATF’s discretion. As firearms, those parts would require serialization, maker information, and all of the other controls and restrictions currently applied only to lower receivers. The regulation also redefines “Gunsmith” and the word “readily,” as it applies to phrases currently in the regulations about guns that may be “readily restored” to fire in fully automatic mode, or “readily converted” to expel a projectile.
The objective is to control and regulate the lawful sale of major firearm components and restrict what gun owners can legally do to modify their personal guns, or to build their own firearms.
The comment period closes on August 19, 2021, so it’s important that you get your comment in before that deadline.
Comments should be businesslike, factual, and to the point, and should never include vulgarities or threats. Additionally, declaring “shall not be infringed,” has not proven to be a successful argument. Copying and pasting the arguments of others, or pieces of them, is not a good strategy, as the agency is looking for original thoughts, not ditto marks. Comments don’t need to be long and detailed, but a valid argument does help, and can seem to make an impact.
Click the link to read the whole article: Last Push Needed for Comments on ATF Rule ChangeJudge Announces Intent To Strike Down Gun Registration And Firearms Permit Law - Ammoland.com
HONOLULU, HI –-(Ammoland.com)- Today, a District judge announced that he would strike down Hawaii’s gun registration and firearms permit law in the Yukutake v Connors case.
The lawsuit centers around Hawaii’s requirements on gun owners along with Honolulu Police Department’s registration and gun policies. Gun owners must apply for a firearm permit in person at the central police station on Oahu. This rule means that a gun must travel to the police station in Honolulu to apply for a gun permit no matter where they live on the island. The resident must then return to the station in person 14 days later to pick up the permit. Once the person acquires a firearm, they must then again return to the station with the gun to register it with the police department.
These requirements mean that a person must travel to the police station at least three times to obtain a gun in the Aloha State.
It could take several hours to reach the police station Honolulu from parts of the island depending on the time of day and traffic, and the Honolulu Police Department policies limit the time that a resident can pick up a permit to Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) and between the hours of 7:45 am and 3 pm. These times are in the middle of the workday for most residents, which means that someone would have to take off three days of work to obtain a gun.
Click the link to read the whole article: Judge Announces Intent To StrikeSandy Hook Plaintiffs in Lawsuit v. Remington ‘Considering’ Settlement Offer - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Nine plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit against Remington Arms Co. LLC and Remington Outdoors Co. Inc., over the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012 are reportedly considering “their next steps” following an offer of almost $33 million—coming to $3.66 million per each plaintiff—according to court documents filed this week in Waterbury Superior Court.
A trial is expected to begin in several weeks, with jury selection reportedly beginning in September, NPR reported.
According to CNN and other news agencies, attorneys representing the Sandy Hook victims’ families said their clients will “consider their next steps” in a statement.
In February, according to Reuters, lawyers for the plaintiffs filed papers in court estimating the wrongful death claims could total more than $225 million and might reach above $1 billion.
Remington has already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Sandy Hook lawsuit was filed in 2014.
In December 2012, killer Adam Lanza murdered his mother, who had legally purchased guns used in the attack that left 20 schoolchildren and six adults dead, before driving to the school. She had apparently complied with all Connecticut requirements at the time.
Click the link to read the whole article: Sandy Hook Plaintiffs ‘Considering’ SettlementBREAKING: Mexico Blames American Guns For Their Problems, Sues U.S. - Freedom's Lodge
Today, we have learned that Mexico is currently suing the United States, alleging that American firearms manufacturers and retailers are responsible for Mexico’s shocking crime and murder statistics.
Interestingly, the Mexican government’s best case against America isn’t against U.S. gun dealers at all; it’s with “Operation Fast and Furious,” the Obama administration’s bungled attempt to “trace crime guns.” That campaign, which did deliberately release firearms to illegal foreign buyers, was the brainchild of Obama’s Department of Justice. But this particular lawsuit instead seeks to blame law-abiding citizens and companies for the basket case that is Mexico’s law enforcement. Below we have a notice from the National Shooting Sports Foundation that spells out exactly what’s happening … and why.
NSSF, the firearm industry trade association, rejects Mexico’s allegations that U.S. firearm manufacturers participated in negligent business practices. All firearms sold at retail within the United States are sold in accordance with federal and state laws, with an FBI background check and forms completed. Allegations of wholesale cross-border gun trafficking are patently and demonstrably false.“These allegations are baseless. The Mexican government is responsible for the rampant crime and corruption within their own borders,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Mexico’s criminal activity is a direct result of the illicit drug trade, human trafficking and organized crime cartels that plague Mexico’s citizens. It is these cartels that criminally misuse firearms illegally imported into Mexico or stolen from the Mexican military and law enforcement. Rather than seeking to scapegoat law-abiding American businesses, Mexican authorities must focus their efforts on bringing the cartels to justice. The Mexican government, which receives considerable aid from U.S. taxpayers, is solely responsible for enforcing its laws – including the country’s strict gun control laws – within their own borders.
Click the link to read the whole article: BREAKING: Mexico Sues U.SThursday, August 5, 2021
NRA-ILA Files Amicus Curiae Opposing ATF’s Illegal Bump-Stock Ban - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, NRA-ILA filed an amicus curiae (or friend of the court) brief in support of a challenge to ATF’s 2018 rule that classified bump stocks as machineguns. The case is before an en banc panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
ATF had determined that bump stocks were not machine guns on ten separate occasions from 2008 to 2017. But that changed in 2018 when ATF announced that it would review its regulatory definition of a machinegun. NRA-ILA filed comments opposing ATF’s reinterpretation at that time. Nevertheless, ATF reversed course and classified bump stocks as machine guns. That change prompted several lawsuits.
Congress defined machinegun “objectively based on the trigger’s mechanics, nothing else,” the brief argues. But in reinterpreting “machinegun,” ATF “moved the goalposts” and looked to factors beyond the function of the trigger. “ATF went off target.”
But this case is about much more than bump stocks. At its core, it’s about how much discretion ATF has to interpret provisions of the Gun Control Act that impose criminal liabilities. The brief argues that for 200 years, the Supreme Court has consistently held that “the power to create crimes lies exclusively with Congress.” Thus, when criminal liability is on the line, “ATF’s position is ‘not relevant at all.”’
The case is captioned as Gun Owners of America v. Garland.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org for future updates on NRA-ILA’s ongoing efforts to defend your constitutional rights.
Massachusetts: Gun Bills Waiting on Committee Action - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Last week, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary held public hearings on both pro and anti-gun bills. The bills now await further committee action over the coming months. Please contact committee members and ask them to SUPPORT H. 1570 and OPPOSE S. 942 and H. 1734.
CLICK HERE TAKE ACTION!
Pro-Gun Bill:
House Bill 1570 would legalize civilian ownership and use of suppressors for legal purposes in Massachusetts. Firearm suppressors, also referred to as “silencers,” are currently illegal to own under Massachusetts state law, as a civilian, despite the fact that they are legal to own under federal law and in 42 states. Suppressors are commonly used by hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Americans who appreciate the many benefits of reducing harmful sound.
Anti-Gun Bills:
Senate Bill 942 and House Bill 1734 limit the number of firearms that can be sold or otherwise transferred to any person, to 15 firearms during any 1 year period, with limited exceptions. The legislation also would limit federal firearm licensees (FFLs) to only sell firearms designed or equipped with the ability to “micro-stamp” ammunition.
This type of “feel good” legislation will not get illegal guns off the streets or have any meaningful impact on reducing violent crime. Instead, it will only serve as a roadblock to law-abiding citizens who wish to practice their Second Amendment Rights. Freedom should never be diminished for those who abide by the law. Freedom should be diminished only for those who break the law.
Again, please contact committee members and ask them to SUPPORT H. 1570 and OPPOSE S. 942 and H. 1734. Stay tuned to NRA-ILA for more information and updates on Second Amendment issues in Massachusetts.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Numbers Don’t Lie. Public Safety Concerns Driving Gun Sales - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Americans are sending a message of their own, despite President Joe Biden’s continued push to restrict their Second Amendment rights. They are choosing to protect themselves.
Two key markers demonstrate Americans in 2021 are voting with their wallets and politicians would be wise to take note. Gun sales continue at elevated levels and if elected officials don’t take heed, they could find themselves out of elected office and looking for work.
Low Public Safety Marks
President Biden has been pushing a strict gun control agenda since campaigning for the White House. He called the firearm industry, which guarantees the ability for law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights, “the enemy.” He wants to dismantle it. His executive actions are about limiting the rights of law-abiding Americans, while all but ignoring the criminals perpetrating the crimes.
That’s not lost on the American public.
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll shows the president is underwater on crime and safety, according to Newsweek. Only 37 percent of Americans give their approval to President Biden on his handling of crime and gun violence, representing a five-point drop in four months.
Click the link to read the whole article: Numbers Don’t LieMan who Stopped Mass Murder in Arkansas found Justified - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- The man who shot and killed Zachary Brian Arnold on 15 May of 2021, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Wallace A. West, was justified in the shooting, according to Sebastian County Prosecutor Dan Shue. The incident was covered by AmmoLand previously.
More facts about the incident have been revealed. Wallace fired two shots, not one, as previously assumed. He missed the first shot. It was revealed Arnold had fired 93 shots when he was shot and killed by West. From nwaonline.com:
West, identified in the Police Department news release Wednesday as an off-duty employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, woke to the sound of gunshots, Shue wrote. He ran outside and saw Arnold shooting into Hicks’ apartment.
West then grabbed a bolt action rifle, which was scoped and loaded, from his gun cabinet, stepped onto his balcony and fired once at Arnold, missing him because he was “shaking so badly,” according to his witness statement.
Arnold turned and fired several rounds at West.
Arnold went back into his apartment, presumably to reload, and he came back outside, Shue wrote. He began walking down the complex, rifle in hand, according to West. West took a second shot, which struck Arnold in the head and killed him.
The article reports that West was an “off-duty employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security”. It is unclear if West was a sworn officer or another employee. The Department of Homeland Security employs a great many people, about 240,000. It is unclear how many are sworn officers, probably less than half.
Click the link to read the whole article: Man who Stopped Mass Murder
Washington Post Defense Of Chipman Reinforces Need To Defeat His Nomination - Ammoland.com
Washington, DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- Give this to the editorial board of the Washington Post: They made it clear what they think of those who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights when trying to salvage the nomination of David Chipman. But by doing so, they did Chipman – and themselves – no favors. If anything, they justify the opposition to his confirmation.
Let’s make it clear, the Washington Post, in pushing this avowed enemy of the Second Amendment, has made their animus – one Chipman shares – towards Second Amendment supporters clear. We’re “gun obsessives” with a “toxic obsession with firearms” who also suffer from a “pervasive denial of reality.”
Let’s lay it out – things like Operation Chokepoint and Operation Fast and Furious are not, to use Post’s turn of phrase, “cockamamie conspiracy theories.” They were outright abuses. The latter got a Border Patrol agent killed. The former has become a prototype for the financial blacklisting that could be a back door to various gun bans, something pushed by the New York Times.
Tack on the underhanded tactics of the Cuomo-James regime in New York and the track record of hostility Chipman has shown to those who defend their Second Amendment rights via use of the First Amendment, and it should become patently obvious that it is the Washington Post editorial board who seems to be denying the reality of Second Amendment politics.
Letting their bigotry show is bad enough, but the Washington Post editorial board compounded it with the “weapons of war” lie regarding the AR-15. They even go so far as to say, “AR-15s are unnecessary for hunting, protection or any other legitimate civilian application, and their popularity reflects poorly on supposedly responsible gun owners.”
Click the link to read the whole article: Washington Post Defense Of ChipmanATF First Says They Will Prosecute FFL/SOTs For Early Form 2s Then Walks It Back - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- According to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) internal document obtained by AmmoLand News, employees of the federal agency will start referring cases of manufactures filing Form 2s early for…(wait for it)… criminal prosecution! After AmmoLand News requested comments about the new rule the ATF walked back the statement by deleting it from a revised memo.
When a manufacturer holding a Federal Firearms License (FFL) and has paid the Special Occupancy Tax (SOT) makes a suppressor, the company will file a Form 2 with the ATF. The Form 2 will include information about the new suppressor. This information provides the caliber, serial number, manufacture, and location (city/state) of the company. Once the suppressor is created, The FFL/SOT has until the end of the next business day to file a Form 2 with the ATF for the serial number for information about the suppressor to be added to the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR).
In the past, the federal government has prosecuted FFL/SOTs for not filing a Form 2 fast enough. The ATF has prosecuted FFL/SOTs for having unassembled suppressor parts that were not serialized. Now it seems that the agency is about to crack down on FFL/SOTs that try to get ahead of the process and not miss the deadline for filing a Form 2 with an agency with a history of overzealous prosecutions.
The ATF considers registering a suppressor early the same as making a false entry to the NFRTR. The violation could also cause the FFL/SOT to have their license revoked, putting the company out of business. In addition to being shut down by the ATF, the FFL/SOT holder could be put in prison for committing a felony.
Click the link to read the whole article: ATF First Says They Will Prosecute FFL/SOTsGreece's Free Again Movement: Pushing Back Against Mandates - Ben Swann
Greece's Free Again Movement: Pushing Back Against Mandates - powered by ise.media
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Why A Looming Copper Shortage Has Big Consequences For The Green Economy - CNBC
This is one reason that ammunition prices are so high. You can't make the brass to use for cartridge cases if you don't have copper and zinc. You can't jacket the bullets without the copper. You can't even plate the bullets if there is no copper. The same with gas checks if you cast your own. Unless you use the aluminum siding trick and cut your own checks. But even then, the cost of aluminum is going up as well.
So, this doesn't affect the "Green Economy", this affects EVERYTHING. Many of the effects will be felt for a long time, especially as more and more mining operations are being targeted by strikes, and the shut down of not just copper and coal mines, but bauxite, zinc, lead and other materials.
Update: Bloomberg Mayor Faces Child Endangerment, Firearm Charges - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Things just keep getting worse for Rochester, N.Y. mayor and member of Michael Bloomberg front group Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) Lovely Warren. On July 16, the gun control proponent was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, endangering the welfare of a child, and failure to lock/secure firearms in a dwelling.
Back in October 2020, the mayor was indicted on a scheme to defraud in first degree charges stemming from alleged campaign finance violations committed during her 2017 election campaign. The indictment alleged that between November 6, 2013, and Nov. 7, 2017, Warren worked to circumvent campaign contribution limits. Detailing the alleged scheme, local news outlet 13WHAM reported,
The [2017 campaign] was paid for with donations from her campaign fund called “Friends of Lovely Warren.” The law caps contributions to that fund at $8,557.
Warren also created a PAC called “Warren for a Stronger Rochester.” PACs are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money – yet can only donate that same capped amount to an individual campaign. The PAC cannot operate as an unlimited slush fund for her campaign and must also be operated separately.
A 13WHAM analysis of campaign and PAC filings… took a look at the top 20 donors over four years. The donors moved back and forth – donating to alternate funds – allowing them to give almost $124,973 more than finance limits would allow.
Scheme to defraud in the first degree is a class E felony punishable by up to four years imprisonment.
Click the link to read the whole article: Bloomberg Mayor Faces ChargesBiden’s ATF Nominee and Mass Surveillance, Erosion of Civil Liberties - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- David Chipman, the Biden administration’s pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is well known for his employment as a “senior policy advisor” with major gun control organizations, notably Everytown’s “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” and currently, Giffords.
Sandwiched between these two jobs, however, was a stint with ShotSpotter as its “Senior Vice President North American Sales,” from 2013 to 2016. ShotSpotter is a private company that markets audio recording and notification technology – hidden microphones that pinpoint loud noises and screen these for the sound of gunshots. This “precision policing platform” claims to give law enforcement agencies “access to timely and accurate intelligence” so they may “more rapidly and precisely deploy resources to respond to crime, as well as proactively prevent it.” The company maintains that the “platform is highly data-driven and includes community protections and engagement opportunities to help improve police-community relations.”
Announcing Chipman’s hiring in 2013, the President and CEO noted that “David brings his unique consultative perspective from the field to client-facing engagements. This is critical to our continued growth and our growing customer successes in addressing gun crime.”
Click the link to read the whole article: Biden’s ATF Nominee and Mass Surveillance
Disconnected DC, America Demands the Opposite of Congress on Guns ~ VIDEOS - Ammoland.com
Washington DC – -(AmmoLand.com)- According to the Gun Owners of America, as of June 2021, 1,930 counties, cities, and towns have passed Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinances (SASO).
Over sixty- percent of counties in America have declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries.
Second Amendment Sanctuary is not a well-defined term; neither is Sanctuary City for illegal aliens.
The purpose of a SASO is to express opposition or noncompliance with state or federal gun control. When cities, counties, or states refuse to enforce state or federal gun control, they become sanctuary zones.
There is no governing body dictating the outcome for these localities. Organizations dedicated to protecting the Second Amendment and advancing our liberties are helping where they can, but they don’t have any legislative power.
The rise of hundreds of municipalities in over forty states that became Second Amendment Sanctuaries is a completely grassroots effort; aided by groups like Gun Owners of America.
These communities are demanding that local governments and states at least make a public statement to oppose federal gun control or outright not enforce it. Withholding taxed dollars by refusing to enforce gun control is a powerful tool that local governments have by right. State legislators and Governors are listening.
At the same time, Washington DC, the lobbyists, the special interests, and front organizations that are funded by a small handful of wealthy devotees are all still demanding gun control. As if the Second Amendment Sanctuary phenomenon isn’t even happening, Washington leans heavily toward restricting rather than enforcing our gun rights.
Click the link to read the whole article: Disconnected DCBelow the Radar: Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act of 2021 - Ammoland.com
United States – -(AmmoLand.com)- When it comes to our Second Amendment rights, the sad fact is that anti-Second Amendment extremists have a number of avenues to attack them. One of those that Second Amendment supporters have to keep a very watchful eye on are those that attack federal firearms licensees (FFLs), particularly the dealers.
In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be legal provisions requiring a license to deal firearms at either the federal, state or local level. It goes without saying, though, that we are not living in that ideal world. Those people who go through the process to get an FFL to become a dealer have chosen to make a living helping people exercise their Second Amendment rights. That said, your local gun store is a business, and it needs to be profitable while remaining within the provisions of 18 USC 922, 18 USC 923, and a host of state and local laws.
This is why the Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act of 2021 is a serious threat to our rights.
Introduced in the House by James Langevin as HR 4271, and in the Senate by Ed Markey as S 2320, this is a bill intended to make life harder for FFLs in a number of ways.
The least bad part of this bill is the increase in the number of compliance inspections from one a year to three a year. This is a lot of red tape and hassle, and Markey and Langevin want to triple it for FFLs. But this bill gets worse.
For instance, current law states that an FFL can only be revoked after a felony conviction becomes final. After all, there are cases in which convictions get thrown out on appeal. Well, Markey and Langevin are changing that – immediately on conviction the FFL gets revoked, and there’s no provision for reinstatement.
Click the link to read the whole article: Below the RadarStigmatizing Gun Owners Leads to ‘Cancellation’ - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- One of the sources I consult to find topics to help keep gun owners apprised of relevant information is Academia.edu, a website that hosts research papers. Included among those are many papers dealing with the gun issue, most (but in fairness, not all) attempting to justify citizen disarmament schemes. I came across one the other day, “Camouflaged Collectives: Managing Stigma and Identity at Gun Events,” that, while written in 2017, attempts to legitimize the smearing of “the gun culture,” something I’ve documented before that is being used to ostracize and ultimately “cancel” its members from full social enfranchisement.
“We conclude that when participants in gun events attempt to subvert core stigma through everyday stigma management practices, they effectively facilitate the unfettered exchange of potentially dangerous goods, promote the invisibility of oppressive structures, and normalize violence,” authors Sarah Jane Blithe and Jennifer L. Lanterman, self-described “social justice scholars,” conclude upfront in the article abstract.
As Gary Coleman famously asked, “What you talkin’ about, Willis?”
“Gun collectives, firearm events, and even dialogue about gun ownership are rife with stigma, the “researchers” pronounce, as if their view is the only truth. The parable of the blind men and the elephant comes to mind, especially since conclusions derived from that biased perspective, that gun ownership is shameful, is a circular logic fallacy summed up by the phrase “begging the question.”
The “stigma” is in the minds of the people predisposed to prejudice, as should be clear from their “scholarly” assertions:
“Participants at gun shows – vendors, attendees, and other related individuals, such as people who rent space to gun shows – experience moral taint because they engage in activities that are sometimes considered sinful or dubious, illegal, or require deception or confrontation. They also experience physical taint stigma, which arises from potentially dangerous conditions (Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999). People manage stigma and taint as collectives and as individuals. The members of gun collectives engage in both group and individual attempts to subvert the stigmatized aspects of their individual and collective identities. The endeavor to manage stigma is placed on all gun owners to some extent, in or out of events, even those who do not engage in illegal practices, because the stigma attached to gun culture is so pervasive.”
In other words, peaceable gun owners are guilty of abuses committed by those who can’t be trusted with freedom. They are responsible for what those — whose opinions are formed by those vested in citizen disarmament — believe about them. They have to justify themselves. And rejecting false accusations and offering correct information is subversion.
So much for that “conversation on guns” the antis keep saying we need to have. But Blithe and Lanterman aren’t done:
“For core stigmatized organizations, routines, attributes, outputs, customers, or purpose carry enough stigma to make legitimacy impossible. For these organizations, complete social acceptance is an impossibility. Examples of core stigmatized organizations identified in the academic literature include men’s bathhouses, brothels, or white power organizations. The very nature of these organizations induces outside stigma.”
Such false equivalency has been tried before. Back in 2009, a University of Cincinnati Assistant Professor of Law, who I dubbed “The Smutty Professor,” advocated treating guns like “adult obscenity” and making them illegal outside the home. And while that push hasn’t gone anywhere – yet – treating guns like something “sinful” has been used to lump gunmakers in with pornographers and pyramid scammers to deny them financial services under the Obama DOJ’s “Operation Chokepoint.”
Even without (overt) government prodding, we have then seen how leading financial institutions have been banking on disarmament by denying their services to the gun industry – while enjoying the benefits of taxpayer-funded federal deposit insurance and contracts with government agencies.
Click the link to read the whole article: Stigmatizing Gun OwnersChipman ATF Nomination Hitting More Speed Bumps; Second Hearing Demanded - Ammoland.com
U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- The controversial nomination of gun control advocate David Chipman to head the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has hit more speed bumps, and some of them may be formidable.
Senate Judiciary Republicans are calling on Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin to hold a second hearing on the Chipman nomination.
Questions raised about alleged racist remarks he made while working as an ATF agent are getting more attention, as noted in The Reload, which is reporting that Senate Republicans have “pushed back” on the nomination.
Evidence of that comes in a letter sent to Durbin by Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the Capitol Hill veteran who was one of Capitol Hill’s chief critics of the ATF’s Operation Fast & Furious a decade ago, said the allegations of Chipman’s racist remarks “require the immediate attention of the Judiciary Committee.”
According to a news release from Grassley’s office, every Republican member of the Judiciary Committee is “seeking a follow-up hearing and more information about the nomination.” Republicans on the committee are “demanding the second hearing and urging (Durbin) to uphold the committee’s responsibility to closely scrutinize nominees like Chipman.”
The nomination by Joe Biden raised red flags immediately earlier this year because of Chipman’s background. He retired after 25 years with the ATF and began working for gun control groups. He has recently been working as an advisor to the anti-gun Giffords group, and has been lobbying for gun control over the past few years. Virtually every national gun rights organization on the map has taken a position against the Chipman nomination, which many see as something of a political payoff by Biden to the gun prohibition lobbying groups that supported his candidacy last year.
Click the link to read the whole article: Chipman Hitting More Speed Bumps