Friday, January 23, 2015

Disturbing Video of Police Shooting in New Jersey

Huffington Post

 

Virginia Man Gets Prison Sentence in Accidental Shooting

Local news

A Galesburg man who admitted to committing an accident shooting in November of 2013 will spend some time in prison for the crime.
Knox County Circuit Court records indicate 22-year-old Jared Yard was sentenced yesterday to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in November to a count of Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, and three-and-a-half years in prison to a charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. Judge Scott Shipplett ordered the the sentences to be served concurrently.
Yard was arrested not long after the incident in the one-hundred block of Silver Street.  Police say Yard and a 21-year-old friend were sitting in a pickup truck when he started displaying a sawed-off shotgun. Yard claims he accidentally shot the friend in the leg.The victim was later taken to a Peoria Hospital and had surgery.
A charge of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm was dropped in exchange for Yard’s plea, which could have resulted in significantly more prison time.
Actually, his prison sentence was for being a felon in possession, not for the accidental shooting. As everyone knows, very few accidental shootings result in jail time.

Bloodshed in Chicago

Local news

Three people were killed and at least nine were wounded in shootings on the South and West sides Wednesday, police said.
Most recently, one man was killed and another was injured by a stray bullet in the Back of the Yards.
About 6:40 p.m., a vehicle approached a 40-year-old man in the 5000 block of South Racine, police said. Someone got out of the vehicle and fired shots, striking the man multiple times in his chest, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office could not confirm the death.
At the same time, a 25-year-old man in a home in the 5000 block of South Elizabeth was shot in the leg, police said. A source said it appeared the man was hit by the gunshots fired on Racine. He was taken to Saint Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, where his condition had stabilized.
About 9 a.m. Wednesday, Edwin Cook, 19, was shot to death in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on the South Side. He was standing on the sidewalk in the 6600 block of South Oakley when a black four-door vehicle pulled up and an armed male got out and opened fire, according to police. He was shot multiple times, police said. Cook, who lived in the 6600 block of South Bell, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office.
About 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, Heath Huntspon, 25, was shot to death in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Four males approached a home in the 5300 block of South May about 12:15 a.m. and knocked on the door, police said. When Huntspon came out onto the porch, one of the males pulled out a handgun and shot him twice in the chest, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

The Myth Behind Defensive Gun Ownership


Gary Kleck

Politico


Respondents in two Harvard surveys had more than 3 times as many offensive gun uses against them as defensive gun uses. Another study focusing on adolescences found 13 times as many offensive gun uses. Yet another study focusing on gun use in the home found that a gun was more than 6 times more likely to be used to intimidate a family member than in a defensive capacity. The evidence is nearly unanimous.

Beyond the defensive gun use versus criminal use dichotomy lies an important question: Are all defensive gun uses good? Undergirding gun advocates’ rhetoric touting the millions of defensive gun uses every year is the assumption that these uses are necessarily good. However, most cases of defensive gun use are not of gun owners heroically defending their families from criminals.

Kleck himself admitted in 1997, in response to criticism of his survey, that 36 to 64 percent of the defensive gun uses reported in the survey were likely illegal—meaning the firearm was used to intimidate or harm another person rather than for legitimate self-defense. His conjecture was confirmed by a Harvard study showing that 51 percent of defensive gun uses in a large survey were illegal according to a panel of 5 judges. This was even after the judges were told to take the respondents at their word, deliberately ignoring the tendency of respondents to portray themselves in a positive light.

Let’s assume for a moment that Kleck and Getz’s estimates are accurate. Rather than being a boon to civilized society, then, these estimates of 1 million to 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually would instead indicate an epidemic of irresponsible gun owners—millions! Lucky for us, despite what the NRA’s favorite criminologists claim, this clearly isn’t the case.

The myth of widespread defensive gun use is at the heart of the push to weaken already near catatonic laws controlling the use of guns and expand where good guys can carry guns to bars, houses of worship and college campuses—all in the mistaken belief that more “good guys with guns” will help stop the “bad guys.” As Wayne LaPierre of the NRA railed in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.”

Liam Neeson's Comments Upset Firearms Company

Liam Neeson in Taken 3
Taken 3 sees Neeson's ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills framed for the murder of a loved one

BBC News

The firearms company that provided the guns for Liam Neeson's Hollywood movie Taken 3 has criticised the star for his comments about US gun laws.
PARA USA said it "regrets" working with Neeson after he said the proliferation of guns in the US was a "disgrace".
The company added that it would cut ties with the Taken franchise and urged other companies to do the same.
"There's just too many... guns out there," Neeson told Dubai's Gulf News last week. "Especially in America."
He continued: "I think the population is like, 320 million? There's over 300 million guns. Privately owned, in America.
"I think it's a disgrace. Every week now we're picking up a newspaper and seeing, 'Yet another few kids have been killed in schools.'"
Neeson made his comments in reply to a question about the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris earlier in the month.
The star, who took on the role of ex-CIA operative Bryan Mills in all three Taken films, said the gun problem was not connected to Hollywood's action movies.

PA Toddler Dead - No One Charged

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Florida 2-Year-old Dead - No One Responsible

Local news reports

A toddler died on Wednesday night after finding a gun and accidentally shooting himself in the chest, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.
According to deputies, the boy's parents were moving out of their house in the 1000 block of Misty Hollow Lane in Tarpon Springs just before 5 p.m. when 2-year-old Kaleb Ahles entered their car.
Kevin Ahles, 23, the child's father, had left a .380 caliber handgun secured in the vehicle, deputies said.
Kaleb was alone inside the car when the family heard a loud popping sound. Deputies said the toddler located the gun in the glove box of the car and and shot himself in the chest.
"He probably barely got the trigger pulled, but it was enough to fire the gun and kill him," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
"There's plenty of witnesses to corroborate that Kaleb was in the car by himself," said Sheriff Gualtieri. "There's no indication of criminal activity, no indication of any foul play other than it is what I described to you as a tragedy."
No charges are expected to be filed.
"Sometimes bad things happen," Sheriff Gualtieri said.

Florida Concealed Carry Permit Holder Attacked in Walmart


Clarence Daniels was going to the store to grab some coffee creamer for his wife when he was taken down by another customer. (Photo: Fox)

Guns dot com (suggested by George Jefferson)

A man was arrested and charged with battery after he tackled a customer in a Brandon, Florida, Walmart Tuesday morning over what was later learned to be a legally carried handgun.

Michael Foster, 43, was in the store’s parking lot just before noon when he noticed Clarence Daniels, 57, take a handgun from his car and place it in a holster on his hip beneath his coat. But rather than calling the police, Foster followed Daniels into the store where he came at him from behind, put him in a chokehold and wrestled him to the ground, a local Fox affiliate reported.
All the while, Foster was yelling out that the man had a gun, but Daniels was yelling out as well, saying that he had a permit to carry the gun.
Witnesses separated the two men and kept them apart until sheriff’s deputies arrived a short time later.
Authorities confirmed that Daniels did, in fact, have a concealed carry permit and was carrying his handgun legally.
“Unfortunately he tackled a guy that was a law-abiding citizen,” Hillsborough County Sheriff ‘s spokesman Larry McKinnon told the Tampa Bay Times of Foster. “We understand it’s alarming for people to see other people with guns, but Florida has a large population of concealed weapons permit holders.”
Foster was arrested and charged with battery. Authorities said part of the problem laid in the fact that Foster never called the police or alerted the store’s security to what he perceived as a possible threat.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Obama Makes No Mention Of Guns In State Of The Union Address



One word was noticeably missing from President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday: guns.

In a sign that the sun has set on Obama's gun control agenda, the president's prepared remarks contained no mention of the issue. Two years after the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the absence of guns from Obama's speech marked a departure from previous years, in which the president urged Congress to pass legislation aimed at reducing gun violence in America.

Obama made a thinly veiled reference to mass shootings while discussing national tragedies that have brought Americans together.

"I’ve mourned with grieving families in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and West Virginia," he said.

Missouri Infant Shot and Killed by 5-Year-old Brother - No Charges Expected

Nevada Man Critical After Accidental Shooting - Lengthy Investigation Ensues

Local news

A possible accidental shooting left at 20-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the face and in critical condition, Reno police said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.
Police responded to a call at about 11:30 a.m. of a shooting at an apartment in the 3000 block of Lakeside Drive in south Reno.
Witnesses told police that one person was handling a gun when it was accidentally fired inside the apartment.
The person threw the gun on a table, which fired at a man's face. He was then taken to Renown Regional Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.

Advocates Duel Over Who’s Winning Gun Control Battle in the States

Fair Warning
Daniel Webster of Johns Hopkins
“I just really question how prudent it is to allow 19-year-olds to carry concealed handguns around. We don’t even let 19-year-olds drink a beer legally.” 
— Daniel Webster, gun policy expert at  Johns Hopkins University


Catherine Mortensen
“To say that the states are moving in the direction of more severe guns laws, I don’t know what kind of figures they’re looking at, but that’s certainly not what we’re seeing.” 
— Catherine Mortensen, NRA spokeswoman, referring to comments by gun control advocates 

Indiana Gun Bills Won’t Get a Hearing


Heath VanNatter
Heath VanNatter

Local news reports

The 2015 legislative bills co-authored by District 38 Representative Heath VanNatter and District 69 Representative Jim Lucas will not be heard this legislative session, but have garnered attention from across the United States.

The three bills presented aim to limit the restrictions placed on gun owners in Indiana, which already has some of the more lenient and undefined laws in the nation.
House Bill 1244 aims at protecting a citizen’s right to carry a gun wherever they see fit. In the case that a business bars the possession of a firearm by a patron or an employee, this bill seeks to grant the disarmed person immunity from civil liability and the right to sue the business owner.  Currently, private businesses may restrict or forbid firearms on their properties.
HB1144 repeals the law that requires a person to obtain a license to carry a handgun in Indiana. Currently, Indiana does not require a permit to purchase firearms. However, a handgun license is required to carry for personal protection off an individual’s own property, hunting, and target shooting.
Perhaps the most controversial, HB1143 prohibits a state agency, including a state supported college or university, from regulating the possession or transportation of firearms. It also allows a person to bring action against a state agency if the person is adversely affected by a rule, a measure, an enactment, or a policy of the state agency that violates this law.

“It’s already dead,” Rep. VanNatter lamented. “The chairman of the public policy committee said he wasn’t going to hear the bills. So this is dead for this year. The session ends April 29, but it depends what we’ll bring up next session. We have a five-bill limit, so I’ll have to prioritize what I want to do.”

Bryant Gumbel Speaks His Mind


Bryant Gumbel

Newsbusters

In an interview with Rolling Stone, HBO host Bryant Gumbel was asked about the National Rifle Association and a segment he did on his Real Sports show about the "Eat what you kill" movement.
There are a few things I hate more than the NRA. I mean truly. I think they're pigs. I think they don't care about human life. I think they are a curse upon the American landscape. So we got that on the record.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Most Dangerous States in the United States in 2015

Alaska is the most dangerous state in the United States according to FBI data.  It replaces Tennessee as the most dangerous state named in 2014.


The annual list of the most dangerous states in the United States has been released by Law Street, according to a Reboot Illinois piece on Tuesday. The list is compiled via Law Street’s Crime Team’s methodology which uses the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s four major violent crime categories in creating a standard measure of violent crimes-per-100,000 people among all cities reporting its crime data to the FBI that have at least 100,000 persons in its borders. Those four major violent crime categories are: murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and incidents of forcible rape.

This methodology, as utilized by Law Street’s Crime Team allows comparisons to be made from year-to-year as well as from city-to-city. The total number of violent crimes – murders, aggravated assaults, robberies, and forcible rapes – reported to the FBI is divided by the city’s population to arrive at a portioned ratio assigned to the state. This portioned ration is then multiplied by 100,000. The formula in its most basic form, according to Law Street, is as follows: Violent Crime Rate equals the total violent crime in a city divided by the population of the city times 100,000.

The Top 10 Most Dangerous States in the United States in 2015
  1. Alaska
  2. New Mexico
  3. Nevada
  4. Tennessee
  5. Louisiana
  6. South Carolina
  7. Delaware
  8. Maryland
  9. Florida
  10. Arkansas
Alaska has replaced Tennessee as the most dangerous state in the United States in 2015. Last year, Tennessee held the dubious title. Obviously, Alaska is one of the least densely populated places on the planet, let alone in the United States. Yet, according to the FBI statistics, it has a rate of 750 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Additionally, it is noted that all 50 states have been compared to make the list of the Most Dangerous States in the United States while not including the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. Washington D.C. was not ranked because its population density and status as a district make it incomparable to the 50 states. It is reported that Washington D.C.’s violent crime rate would be significantly higher than all the states. Of the nation’s capital, it was noted in the report that Washington D.C.’s violent crime rate is not unusual for its size.

Now, if guns really made us safer, why would these mainly gun-friendly states suffer from such high levels of violent crime.  That's not even to contend that more guns makes for more crime, that's simply to question where are all the defensive uses.

Preparing for a Holy War



The Blaze

An Army recruiting station in Phoenix, Arizona, has been ordered by higher ups to remove a sign on display outside of its entrance that read, “On a mission for both God and country.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command told the Army Times that the text — which created concerns over the separation of church and state — was placed on the signboard by local personnel and that headquarters would have never permitted it.
“Had the process been followed, the copy shown would not have been approved,” spokesman Brian Lepley told the outlet, adding that the military is looking into who authorized the controversial text.

Gun Control in Italy

This Italian Life

National Firearms Catalog

Italian law prescribes that any rifled-barreled firearm imported or manufactured in Italy after 1976 must be identified by a progressive catalog number, assigned by a commission composed of police and government officials and representatives from the Italian arms industries. The national firearms catalog describes the characteristics of the weapon (barrel and overall length, number of rounds in the magazine and other technical specifications) which cannot legally be altered without resubmitting the weapon to the commission. Common firearms with certain features (sights, type of action) can be classified as sporting firearms and can be used for self-defense in extreme circumstances (ei. during a home invasion) but which cannot be carried for other purposes.

 Weapons Possession

All private firearms must be registered at the local police department within "72 hours" after purchase or transfer. This time limit starts from the time the firearm is actually taken to the place where it is to be registered, for example, the firearm may be bought on a certain day and picked up a week later from the retailer; only then is the owner required to register the weapon.

Citizens are allowed to own: up to three common firearms ( such as 10-gauge shotguns, and some .22 rimfire rifles), and up to six weapons that have been specifically engineered and/or manufactured for shooting sports. An unlimited number of hunting weapons (both rifles and shotguns) and up to eight antique or historical weapons (designed before 1891, regardless of when produced). In addition, an unlimited numbers of single shot muzzle loader replicas, are allowed with no registration needed. An unlimited numbers of airguns under 7,5 Joules of muzzle energy, specifically approved by the Ministry of Interior, do not require registration either.


You can agree with me or not, but think about this: the number of massacres in Italy from 1966 to 2012 was zero. Zero.

Monday, January 19, 2015

A Rare Legitimate DGU - In New Jersey of All Places

Dark Robber Gun Barrel

--(Ammoland.com)- The owner of a northern New Jersey supermarket shot and killed a would-be robber who pointed a gun at him.
Essex County prosecutors say the shooting at the Neighborhood Deli Supermarket in Newark occurred around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. They say no charges have been filed against the store owner, who legally possessed the gun he used in the shooting, but would not release his name.
Prosecutors say 46-year-old Newark resident Mark Robinson pulled out a gun shortly after he entered the Irvine Turner Boulevard store. They say he pointed the weapon at the store owner, who then fired at Robinson.
Robinson was taken to a hospital, but was pronounced dead there a short time later. The store owner was not injured.
Prosecutors say Robinson’s gun was found at the scene.

Democratic Leaders in Vermont Aiming to Stiffen Gun Control


Democratic leaders in the Vermont Senate are preparing legislation calling for expanded background checks for gun purchases and state prosecution of what are now federal gun crimes, including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

“I do not believe that background checks alone are the only solution; it is not always going to prevent gun violence. But there will be times when it will be effective,” said Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell, D-Windsor.

Senate Majority Leader Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden, said part of the bill would target firearms sales over the Internet by requiring a buyer to “physically appear” at a federally licensed gun dealer, where staff will run the person’s name through an FBI database to make sure the buyer doesn’t have criminal convictions or a court finding of mental illness that would bar the purchase.

“It’s not designed to take guns away from anyone,” Baruth said. “But it says guns are serious things. If you want a gun you need a background check.”

Vermont gun shops have used the federal background check system since the late 1990s, but the system is porous, with Internet and gun show sales frequently happening without the checks, gun restriction advocates maintain.

The national group Everytown for Gun Safety this past week released an analysis of new FBI data showing that the federal background check system is working in Vermont, blocking more than 3,000 gun sales to prohibited purchasers since 1998. These blocked sales include 279 gun sales to drug offenders, 356 to people convicted of domestic violence or subject to protection orders, and 983 sales to convicted felons, the group said.

8-Year-old New Mexico Girl Shot by her Little Sister - Dad May Face Charges

Local news reports

Authorities say a 6-year-old Flora Vista girl accidentally shot her sister with a rifle, and their father could face charges.
The Farmington Daily Times reports the 8-year-old victim was in critical condition Friday night at San Juan Regional Medical Center.
Detective Lt. Kyle Lincoln says both the San Jan County Sheriff’s Office and Farmington police responded to reports of a child with a gunshot wound seeking medical attention.
Lincoln says both girls were helping their father clean the house Friday afternoon when the 6-year-old picked up the rifle and pulled the trigger, hitting the 8-year-old in the neck.

Detectives have not yet determined if the father will be charged.

Texas Man Arrested for Accidentally Shooting his 10-Year-old Daughter


Steven Johnson

Local news

A 10-year-old girl was injured late Saturday when police say her father accidentally fired a gun at their home in Colleyville.

Colleyville spokeswoman Mona Gandy said the girl’s father was showing visitors his handgun at his home on Douglas Avenue when the gun discharged just before midnight. The bullet went through a wall and struck his 10-year-old daughter, who was in another room, in the hand, Gandy said.
The girl’s mother drove her to a nearby emergency room in Colleyville and the girl was flown to the hospital for treatment, Gandy said.
Police arrested the girl’s father, Steven Johnson, 53, on a charge of injury to a child, Gandy said. Johnson is at Keller jail.
Gandy did not know the child’s condition.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Snyder Bucks NRA, Vetoes Gun Bill

Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder rejected gun rights advocates' push to sign a bill on Thursday, saying it could expose domestic violence victims.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder



Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has made a rare move for a Republican state executive: He rebuffed the National Rifle Association.

Snyder vetoed a bill on Thursday that had pitted gun rights advocates against former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords and anti-domestic violence organizations.

The measure would have overhauled Michigan's concealed permit applications in a way that would have allowed people who faced restraining orders as a result of domestic violence or stalking allegations to obtain guns, as long as their orders didn't specifically restrict their access to firearms.

The NRA and gun rights advocates said those fears were overblown -- but Snyder rejected their arguments in a statement issued on Thursday.
    "We simply can't and won't take the chance of exposing domestic abuse victims to additional violence or intimidation," Snyder said.

    "There are certainly some reforms that can improve the way Michigan issues concealed pistol licenses and we support the rights of law-abiding firearm owners, but it's crucial that we leave in place protections for people who already have endured challenges and abuse," he said.

    It was a rare stand by a Republican governor -- and in Snyder's case, one who's won twice in a state President Barack Obama carried and has been mentioned as a potential national candidate -- against an organization that counts much of the party's base as members.

    Florida Mall Shooting - 2 Dead, 1 Wounded


    Jose Garcia-Rodriguez

    Local news reports

    A Florida man had "several pockets full of ammunition" when he targeted his WIFE in a shooting Saturday morning that killed two people at a mall food court where the woman worked, police said.

    Authorities said the shooting happened about a half hour before the mall was to open to customers. Jose Garcia-Rodriguez, 57, of Palm Bay, died at a hospital following an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Melbourne Square Mall, said Cmdr. Vince Pryce of Melbourne Police.

    The man's 33-year-old WIFE, Idanerys Garcia-Rodriguez, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound and was in good condition late Saturday, Pryce said. A police statement later identified her as a worker at the mall's food court.

    "The survivor is the intended victim," he said.

    "We were still hearing shots when the first officers arrived on scene," Pryce said.

    Another man died in the shooting. His name was not released, and Pryce said his RELATIONSHIPto the Garcias remained under investigation and was unknown late Saturday. No one else in the mall was killed or wounded, police later said.

    When officers found the three victims, Garcia "had several pockets full of ammunition," Pryce said. Police subsequently said investigators recovered three handguns at the site, along with the ammunition, believed to belong to the suspect.

    "We believe this may stem from a domestic violence incident," he said.

    TTAG Creates a Reenactment of the Charlie Hebdo Shootings - With Disappointing Results



    The Daily Mirror

    American gun rights activists have reenacted the Charlie Hebdo shootings, in an effort to show such devastating bloodshed could have been spared if one of the magazine's staff had been armed.
    The bizarre exercise, organised by The Truth About Guns, saw volunteers play the part of staff at the satirical publication which was targeted by Islamic extremists Said and Cherif Kouachi on January 7.
    But in the reenactment one of the staff was given a paint ball gun, which they were instructed to use when "extremely well trained attackers" - also armed with paint ball guns - burst in on the set up.
    The exercise was carried out nine times, but the armed "staff member" was never successful in overpowering both attackers.

    Now, let's listen to Nick Leghorn spin the whole thing in their favor all the while claiming to represent the truth in The Truth About Guns.




    I can't believe he actually said "if we could save just one life." When gun control folks use that one it's mocked mercilessly.

    What a despicable spin doctor. The victims at Charlie Hebdo were just as prepared for an attack as the players in his reenactment scenario were.

    Washington Gun Rights Activists Rally at Capitol in Olympia


    Gun owners, including Garrett Bosworth, 16, center, of Yakima, Wash., pose for a selfie photo as they display their weapons in the upper gallery of the House chambers, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The House was not in session when this photo was taken, and members of the group went to the gallery following a protest outside the Legislative building in opposition to Washington state's Initiative 594, which requires - with only a few exceptions - background checks on all gun sales and transfers. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

    Local news reports

    More than 200 gun rights activists, most of them carrying firearms, rallied on the steps of Washington’s Capitol on Thursday morning to protest the expansive background-check law state voters passed in November.
    State legislators and other opponents of Initiative 594’s requirement of background checks on all gun sales and transfers voiced their belief that the new law unfairly infringes on their constitutional rights, and a handful of the protesters carried long guns into the public viewing gallery of the state House of Representatives just as the morning’s brief floor session ended.
    A series of speakers urged the crowd outside the Capitol to work to build support to repeal Initiative 594, both by contacting their legislators and by lobbying their friends and relatives. Several I-594 opponents carried signs with messages including “Prosecute criminals not harass us” and “I will not comply” during the chilly morning rally.
    “We’re not the bad guys, and they’re trying to make us the bad guys, but we let this happen,” said Adina Hicks, executive director of Protect Our Gun Rights Washington, one of several groups that organized the rally.
    “Gun owners tend to be a live and let live kind of people,” Hicks said. “Can’t do that anymore.”
    “This is a culture war, folks,” said Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen. “They don’t like what we do, and they want to control what we do.”
    State Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, joined the rifle-brandishing protesters inside the Capitol and posed for pictures alongside them outside the House chamber. He declined an offer to accept a gun being handed to him without a background check. While outside, he enthusiastically told the crowd about several gun-rights bills he supports.
    “Tyranny is not an option,” Shea said in a rising voice. “The right to bear arms is unalienable. It can’t be taken away by a majority vote. It can’t be taken away by the Legislature. It can’t be taken away by the Supreme Court. God gave us that.”
    Hahahaha, tyranny.  Requiring a background check on private sales is tyranny. Hahahaha