Posted on 08/23/2010 4:50:28 AM PDT by marktwain
Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- Anyone who traveled behind the Iron Curtain back in those days probably didn’t have to look very hard to find groups of “workers” sitting around doing pretty much nothing, except collecting a taxpayer-funded government paycheck.
The American way is better. Anti-gun group employees, like those at Legal Community Against Violence, can still sit around doing pretty much nothing and collect a paycheck, but the money—lots of it—comes from donations, from foundations and individuals who share their ideals. While the rest of us have to contend with anything tangible they might produce, at least we don’t have to pay for it, most of the time.
Take the latest from the so-called Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), a handful of freedom-hating lawyers operating out of an office in San Francisco, California. Mimicking the Brady Campaign—probably not a good business plan, given that Brady Campaign is not exactly a thriving enterprise these days—LCAV is now ranking the states according to how “strong” their gun laws are.
If by any chance you are unfamiliar with the word “ludicrous,” now would be a good time to look it up in your dictionary. On the other hand, never mind, because once you go over LCAV’s pseudo-scientific poppycock, you’ll be able to write a good definition yourself.
Some examples serve to make the point. LCAV ranks California best in the nation, though its firearm-related death rate is higher than those of 16 other states, including Vermont, the gun owner-friendly laws of which LCAV ranks third worst in the nation. LCAV ranks Maryland 7th-best, just ahead of New York and Rhode Island, the firearm-related deaths rates of which are only 42 percent and 29 percent that of Maryland. Joining the declaration of ideological war by some in California against neighboring Arizona, LCAV ranks the Grand Canyon State worst in the nation.
And it goes on from there, with no correlation between LCAV’s ranking and the states’ widely divergent firearm-related death rates, no recognition of the fact that most firearm-related deaths are suicides, the frequency of which cannot be restrained by any gun control law, and no recognition of the fact that the world is still waiting for any evidence that any gun control law on the planet has ever prevented individuals or regimes from committing crime.
LCAV’s point structure for the various gun laws doesn’t even make sense. LCAV gives states four points (the maximum for any gun law) for requiring registration of all guns. We get that, since we know that gun control supporters consider registration indispensable, for purposes of enforcing a subsequent gun confiscation law. But LCAV gives almost as many points (three) for banning .50 caliber rifles (which are probably the type of gun least frequently involved in firearm deaths, or darned close), three points for requiring a dealer to be licensed (even though federal law requires that in every state anyway), and . . . well, you get the idea.
Similar to Violence to Policy Center, LCAV is especially apoplectic about “assault weapons” (three points for a ban), standard self-defense magazines that hold more than 10 rounds (three points for a ban), and anything at all to do with carrying a firearm for protection. Relative to the latter, a state gets a minus-1 point for a “shall issue” carry permit law, minus-1 for open carry without a permit, and minus-two points for concealed carry without a permit.
All this malarky, with the number of carry states at an all-time high and the nation’s violent crime rate at a 35-year low.
We’re not sure how often LCAV will have the opportunity to repeat its state ranking exercise, though. One bad gun law at a time, NRA, its members, and their friends elected to state office have been eliminating gun control laws left and right for the last two decades in most states. And, Americans have responded by exercising their right to acquire arms in record numbers.
U.S. Firearm Production Soars In Response Some evidence to that effect was put forward by the BATFE recently, in the form of its report on U.S. firearm manufacturing in the first half of 2009. In the first half of 2009, U.S. manufacturers produced more rifles, more pistols, more revolvers and more shotguns, than in all of 2008. Coupled with increases in NICS checks of 11 percent between 2006 and 2007, another 14 percent between 2007 and 2008, and another 10 percent between 2008 and 2009, the evidence is pretty clear that the gun control laws LCAV wants have been on the wane, while the ones it most despises have become the norm.
What I see from this “point structure” is complete nonsense, as the article points out. The points are based on “the warm fuzzies” scale - A “Ban on Assault weapons” SOUNDS great, but none of these brainless morons ever once ask to define what an assault rifle is.
And who has -2 points ? I wanna move there.
bs...we continually 'pay' for this sedition in blood and treasure...
I was surprised to learn, via LCAV’s Facebook page, that the organization recently celebrated its 17th anniversary. I was not as surprised to see that CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin gave the keynote address at their anniversary celebration in July.
“And who has -2 points ? I wanna move there.”
Alaska, Arizona, and Vermont.
Leftists feel a revulsion against firearms because the presence of a firearm presents the shortest possible distance between their pent up rage and hate and the ability to express it in the most destructive manner possible.
These little percolating thoughts remind them that, indeed, they are NOT “basically good”. So, you have to get rid of the presence of the object that “causes” these thoughts to percolate.
Very remarkable. Youd think these guys would have learned from the thrashing they got last time they wandered into the gun ban mine field. LOL, talk about slow learners! This time around they have health care and run-away spending already drag them down going in. I think they want to be the obsolete party.
As a data point even by flaming lib neighbors go ballistic when gun bans pop up in the news. In his words ‘No one’s taking my guns!!!’. Its not just ‘conservatives’ who see red. LOL!!!
I’m proud to live in the “worst” state in the nation.
Here's the URL to the group's ranking of states, good to bad the way they see it, but most tyrannical to freest in the eyes of right-thinking individuals.
http://www.lcav.org/Gun_Laws_Matter/Gun_Laws_Matter_Chart.pdf
I am proud to see that my beloved Idaho is next to worst from their perspective, which means next to freest in reality. The only thing disappointing about this ranking is Arizona beat us!
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
God put us here, at this time, for a good reason.
Gold, baaaaabaaay! Yeah! [fist pump]
This is due in large part to you and the brave souls down at AZCDL, mt! Big Freeper thank you!
You are welcome. The folks at AZCDL (yes I am a life member, but I play only a small role) are the ones who deserve the credit for Constitutional Carry.
...and the Firearms Freedom Act, and knife preemption, and broadening training opportunities, AND outlawing recording serials and owners names when stored in muni facilities, AND broadening preemption to include reloading, ammo storage, etc....
Those guys really earn their donations.
Are you going to the annual meeting?
As already noted AZ recently passed such a law. It got scant attention due to the illegal alien law passed about the same time. Which suggests a strategy of passing so many pro-freedom bills at the same time that the left can’t fight them all. They have, after all been doing that for years.
I would like to. Right now, it looks like I can.
I think I can too. Hopefully I'll see you there.
I don't know that it wasn't partly strategery, but another factor in play is that the legislature's been in fairly reliable conservative hands for quite a few years, but due to some other factors, it would have been a miracle for a Republican to be elected governor in the last couple elections, so we got stuck with Manet NapoliReno. Now the rest of you all are enjoying the managerial splendor that is Manet. You're welcome. Anyhow, once Obama swabbed the crap from the governor's office, there was a lot of good stuff waiting to enact, both stuff that Manet had vetoed and stuff that no one bothered to pass as long as she was BMOC.
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