Guns at the GOP Convention

 Posted by at 11:27 am  Politics
May 042012
 

If you’re planning to protest at the Republican National Convention in Tampa from 8/27 to 8/30, please take extreme care to avoid conflict with the local minions of InsaniTEA there.  It will not be a safe place to be, because, for the Republican Party, extreme ideology trumps public safety.

4GunsTampaMayor Bob Buckhorn of Tampa, Fla., proudly packs a .38-caliber revolver as one of the 900,000 Floridians holding concealed-weapon permits these days. But even Mayor Buckhorn thinks it is a bad idea to allow the people who will be thronging outside the Republican National Convention in the city this August to carry concealed weapons.

He asked Gov. Rick Scott this week to issue an executive order banning guns in all of downtown Tampa, not just in the convention hall and the immediately surrounding zone controlled by the Secret Service. “In the potentially contentious environment surrounding the R.N.C., a firearm unnecessarily increases the threat of imminent harm and injury to the residents and visitors of the city,” he wrote to the governor. The request was rejected by Governor Scott, a Republican, who contended that the temporary ban would “surely violate” the Second Amendment right to bear arms. In fact, said the governor, “it is at just such times” that self-defense is “most precious.”

A distorted notion of self-defense, of course, underpins Florida’s notorious Stand Your Ground law at issue in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin, by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman… [emphasis added]

inserted from <NY Times>

Rachel Maddow covered this story in the second segment of Wednesday’s Debunction Junction.  I did not remove the first segment, because it is interesting, albeit unrelated.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

In addition top Trayvon, we also have a recent reminder from the Totalitarian Corporate Plutocracy of Brewerstan of what can happen when hate-filled Republican extremists pack heat in public places.

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  15 Responses to “Guns at the GOP Convention”

  1. A distorted notion of self-defense, of course, underpins Florida’s notorious Stand Your Ground law at issue in the shooting death of an unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin, by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman… [emphasis added]

  2. After all these months learning about American politics etc, I still do not understand you Americans and your seeming fixation on owning and carrying guns!  And on top of that, ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws in some states — in my opinion, an open invitation to vigilantism and murder.

    When people hear about the incidences of violence using guns — Gilbert, Arizona yesterday; the murder of Trayvon Martin; Columbine; Virginia Tech; Gabby Giffords; and more — does anybody ask “How can we stop this”?  Does anybody ask “Are our gun laws too lax?”

    When the 2nd amendment to the US constitution was written, times were very different.  There were few or no police.  The young nation was predominately rural and protection from various forces was necessary.  But today, are the needs for self protection any greater?  I would say not as there are police and various other law enforcement agencies.

    I live in Canada where owning a handgun is, let us say restrictive.  According to Wikipedia “Nearly 22% of Canadian households had at least one firearm, including 2.3% of households possessing a handgun.   As of September 2010, the Canadian Firearms Program recorded a total of 1,831,327 valid firearm licences, which is roughly 5.4% of the Canadian population. ”  So north of the 49th, our culture as concerns guns is quite different, thankfully.  Recently on the news, I learned that of the handguns recovered that were used in crimes in Canada, 80% had their origins in the US and were illegally brought to Canada by criminals and gangs.  Here is part of the requirements for gun ownership in Canada as taken from Wikipedia:

    Individuals who wish to possess or acquire firearms in Canada must have a valid possession-acquisition, or possession-only, licence (PAL/POL); either of these licences allows the licensee to purchase ammunition. The PAL is distributed exclusively by the RCMP and is generally obtained in the following three steps:

    1. Safety training: To be eligible to receive a PAL, all applicants must successfully complete the Canadian Firearms Safety Course (CFSC) for a non-restricted licence, and the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course (CRFSC) for a restricted licence; the non-restricted class is a prerequisite to the restricted licence. The RCMP publishes information on the locations and availability of these courses.
    2. Applying for a licence: Currently only one type of licence is available to new applicants, the possession-acquisition licence (PAL). People can request a PAL by filling out Form CAFC 921.
    3. Security screening: Background checks and investigations are performed. All applicants are screened, and a mandatory 28-day waiting period is imposed on first-time applicants, but response time may be longer.

    Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm transfer, and an authorization to transport (ATT) for restricted firearms.

    (Note: People may hunt with firearms in Canada only with non-restricted firearms. This requires an additional “Hunting with Firearms” course)

    Perhaps I am a little off on a tangent, but when I hear the Mayor of Tampa, a gun packing man himself, request a temporary ban on firearms in the downtown area during the RNC in August, I see a man that is weighing the risks with so many people likely to be in town, some of whom no doubt are what I will call ‘far right nut cases’.  For a Governor to flatly say no to the request, is in my mind an idiot asking for trouble.

    Sorry everybody, but I really do have a problem with gun ownership.

    • Lynn, IMHO the founding fathers are polluting their caskets because of the way Republicans are interpreting the 2nd Amendment.  As a former hunter and NRA Sharpshooter with nine bars (before the NRA politicized guns), I would have no objection to the US adopting the Canadian system.  The big problem is that Republicans view violence as a solution.

      • I couldn’t agree more. I live in AZ and it’s become a dangerous place with Gov.Brewer’s extreme gun laws (or lack thereof). One must assume everyone is armed & dangerous in public these days, honking at someone in traffic could be fatal…

        I still think one of the best documentaries ever was “Bowling for Columbine”. It breaks down the absurdity of US gun laws in a very succinct way. I also like how it highlights countries like Canada vs US gun deaths and gun ownership. Would recommend it to all who have never seen it!

        • Welcome Trish! 🙂

          For living in the Totalitarian Corporate Plutocracy of Brewerstan, you have my deepest condolences.

          I fully agree about Bowling for Columbine.

    • I COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MY SELF

  3. I must admit to mixed feelings – I own and know how to use guns–  I have a state gun license– However I do believe in  laws limiting who can get a license and I also believe in strict laws governing the manufacture , sale  and ownership of certain classes of  weapons- the   weapons  more suited to pierce armor in war—Canada laws do not seem unreasonable to me– Florida’s law invites trouble

  4. The Rushpubliscums (1.) want everyone armed to the teeth, no regulations on anybody, anywhere, while (2.) slashing public safety budgets, meaning fewer cops on the streets, while (3.) engaging in fearmongering rhetoric about GUBMINT and AUTHORITAH.

    What could possibly go wrong?

     

  5. Well, of course I’m perfectly fine with the Governor & his fellow Floridians allowing real guns in the Convention Center.  I’m just thankful they had the common sense the good Lord gave them to ban WATER PISTOLS

     
    I mean, can you think of anything more dangerous than being squirted with WATER?  The mind shutters.  Even Jesus realized how absolutely dangerous water was – after all, that’s why he went around changing the stuff into wine.
     
    And don’t get me started on how wise they were in banning “String longer than six inches” ….
     
     

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