...public opinion disturbing.

The sheer speed of modern communication combined with the intensified profit motive have made traditional journalism almost worthless as a source of information. Even worse, people just don't seem to understand the high ratio of bad information in the raw mix of data that we are bombarded with. Demagogues on both extremes of firearm issues are getting more adept at manipulating perception, and leveraging the resulting ephemeral bumps in poll numbers.

Gun control extremists have made no effort to hide the fact that they have been exploiting public emotion about Sandy Hook in an effort to get their pet bans enacted, while groups like the NRA shamelessly play on peoples' fears of lost rights in their fundraising.

I hope that the outcome of it all puts everyone in a better place on issues where most people are in agreement, such as improvements in the data fed into the background check system plus avenues for applying background checks to private-party transfers of used firearms.

...or some other shiny object.

choose to wait for another massacre before they trot out the SAME approaches. This is so unfortunate, because such horrible events will fall into a hideous routine, and the understandable outrage will begin to deminish with no constructive action taken.

You have to wonder: MSM created a mantra "Sandy Hook has forever changed the way we talk about guns," then followed up with "There is only a short window of opportunity to act."

What in hell are they talking about??

MSM has recussitated the gun control outlook so many times that the "movement" has learned not to establish the basics of grass roots organizing, thinking elites and a fading MSM model are pushbuttons for instant policy change.

If the people lead, the leaders will follow. But too many are too heady with animosity and moral validation to make any serious effort at meaningful policy change.

if only common sense weren't in such short supply.

Almost like it's popularly accepted propaganda, or something.

It's kinda like when judges write "clearly" in an opinion.....

Am I the only one outraged about this?
This article is a CLEAR ADMISSION by these governors that they are counting on a crisis like Newtown to push their anti-gun agenda.
This was a TRADGEDY, not an "OPPORTUNITY".

More evidence -
Politicians and Advocates rushed to get laws passed, even though the facts of Sandy Hook have still not been compiled and reported on.

NY Pols rushed so quickly that they forgot to exempt law enforcement from their draconian new law, and also have a serious constitutional problem. Depending on how this ruling goes, ALL hi-cap mag bans could quickly come under judicial scrutiny.

The antis can't seem to comprehend why they can't get traction on gun control. The reasons are many, but the key is the pro-gun side has VERY long memories and is in this fight for the long haul. Its been ongoing for decades. The level of commitment to the cause and intensity on the pro-2A side greatly eclipses what the antis have been able to muster.


It's not that pro-gun folks have long memories. Rather, in our view, every time anti-gunners speak, they are trying to take something away from us, be it magazines, rifle "features", making permits harder to obtain or more restrictive and more expensive, Open Carry, Concealed Carry. Legislation like this is proposed in every legislature in nearly every state as well as Congress in EVERY session in the country. The anti side is complacent because nobody is trying to take something away from them.

The proposals that are made, to someone who is knowledgeable, aren't even close to common sense to "prevent gun violence". How will a magazine ban prevent gun violence? What does banning a collapsible stock, flash hider, pistol grip or my personal favorite, the dreaded, evil, bayonett lug do to halt gun violence? What about making the name of permit holders public? Gun registration? These proposals, to an educated gun owner will accomplish nothing to decrease violence, and serve only as a means toward confiscation, yet to the gun control supporter, they are non-negotiable. What is MOST unfortunate is that REAL, COMMON SENSE reform related to backgrond checks, mental health, training and storage are lost in the noise.

It's not our memory that is long, but our hearing is accute to the constant din of BAN GUNS! BAN GUNS!

In 1994, as now the cries were deafening. From 2004 up until Sandy Hook, it was barely a whisper, but it was there. But they never leave.

I think in part, the reason we are so vigillant is because the anti's are so vocal and so persistent, even when they lack popular support.

And now they take advantage of this tradgedy to further their agenda... an opportunity.

In the past 2 months, both the Brady Campaign and CAGV have updated their websites. Anyone who has seen these websites pre-Newtown knows they wre rarely updated, outdated, and had little traffic. What does this tell you?

...there are less complimentary things to call it as well.

and another to produce legislation that will actually work. Sooner or later someone somewhere has to actually write a law that can be enforced. None of the proposals I have seen come close to being workable in the real world.

both of whom had been mentioned as potential Presidential candidates in 2016 can say good bye to ever reaching the White House. Many of the states President Obama carried in 2012 are states with a large number of gun owners and I don't see O'Malley and Cuomo winning those states, at least some of which are required to get enough electoral votes to reach 270.

I mean, it's not like they are even trying to fucking LOOK legit, anymore.

Guess people woke up too quickly this time.

It's a good thing.

Chairman Joe Vallario said we'd all get a chance to testify (I did), and it looks like he means it. Over 1,300 signed up to testify against the gun ban, and, last I checked, 34 signed up to testify in favor.

Any local insight on that?

How big is their operation in terms of jobs?

I forget the specifics, but I know off the top of my head that they provide 300-500 jobs, $30+ million in tax revenue, and $70+ million in community investment. They moved warehousing ops to Virginia in the 90s to punish Maryland for new gun control laws, but they've held off moving the factory. They're being courted by a lot of states, and Ugo's said "there always seems to be a problem with Maryland." I hope they stay, because I like to buy local.

Oh, the hearing lasted until 3:45 AM (15.5 hours) and the final tally appears to be 1,321 against the gun ban, and 31 for it. The governor's rally for the bill was barely an eighth the size of our crowd on 2/6, and a huge number of them were bussed-in schoolchildren or arrived on three commercial buses registered in New Jersey. I suspect they did not testify because they would have to reveal that they are not Marylanders.

My testimony:

"I am a liberal Democrat and I am here in support of civil rights. Prohibition is the least effective, most destructive, and least progressive way of addressing social problems. Prohibition of alcohol did not work. Education, prevention, and care do. Prohibition of abortion did not work. Education, prevention, and care do. Prohibition of drugs is not working. Education, prevention, and care would. Prohibition of firearms possession, a civil right, will not be effective. Education, prevention, and care will be effective in reducing crime associated with guns. Let's find a truly progressive way to improve our state and protect our neighborhoods."

Now more than ever we need a progressive expansion of 2A and firearm freedoms. Give us the tools to assure the protection of our lives and families. It is never the time to take freedoms away...less freedom is never the answer.