Author: Sebastian

New CeaseFire PA Executive Director

Looks like CeaseFire Pennsylvania is naming former spokesman for Mayor Street Joe Grace to their Executive Director post:

“We’re hiring Joe Grace because it’s time for CeaseFire PA to take its growing coalition in support of stronger handgun laws to the next level,” Goldsmith said. “As CeaseFire PA takes its campaign to communities across Pennsylvania, it needs an experienced campaign strategist who understands what it takes to achieve results. Joe is that person and we’re pleased to welcome him aboard.”

Joe succeeds Diane Edbril, who has served as part-time executive director.

“Diane has done a wonderful job. But our growth requires a full-time individual at the helm. I am delighted she will continue on a part-time basis to work with Joe as we further our mission to make communities safer,” Goldsmith said.

I’m not a professional political analyst or anything, but my take on this is that CeaseFire PA has decided they need someone a little more dedicated to be able to make any movement at all in Pennsylvania. Their defeat in the Judiciary Committee a few weeks ago clearly did not go unnoticed by the powers that be in the Pennsylvania gun ban movement.

Grace served for the last two and ½ years as communications director for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. In that role he interacted with mayors from across Pennsylvania on the issue of growing violence caused by illegal handguns, and with the national coalition of mayors focused on reducing gun violence headed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

I’m not sure I’d trust a guy that directed Street’s communication. I guess the FBI felt that Street communicated pretty well though, or they wouldn’t have bugged his office.

But what’s this growing crap? CeaseFire PA is growing? I mean, maybe 2007 is going to be a bumper year for them, but based on their IRS 990s (search “CeaseFire Pennsylvania”), I wouldn’t exactly brag. In 2004, they recorded total assets of $17,673, and in 2005 reported $24,201. My total assets exceeded that when I was living in an apartment in my mid 20s. Also for 2005, they list direct public support of about 31 large, which was down from 2004, listed at about 40 large.

Just for some comparison, in 2006, Allegheny County Sportsmens League had $186 grand in assets, and 43,267 in contributions.  That was up over 2005 with 180 grand in assets and 38 grand in contributions.

Of course, they are one of many Pennsylvania gun rights organizations.   Gun control in Pennsylvania growing?  I’m afraid only in Ed Rendell’s mind.  The numbers say otherwise.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. CeaseFire PA Coming to MAIG’s Defense
  2. You’ll Be Judged By The Company You Keep
  3. Undeterred

Silhouette Sorrow

A score of 28 was off from my score of 33 last week.  I did get all ten pigs, but that was all the mojo I could muster this week.  I just wasn’t feeling it.   I probably won’t get to see Bitter this weekend because of weather.  We’re expecting snow and “wintry mix” this weekend, which could make going home hazardous, or very difficult.   Winter can go to hell.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. The White Menace
  2. A Match for Cold Occasions (Winter Gun Blog Rifle Match)
  3. Light Blogging

How Not to Win

By sticking up for the second amendment rights of violent criminals. There are good poster children for why our current “prohibited person” statutes are overly broad. There are good poster children for the fact that the government has criminalized virtually everything, including making things like importing lobsters in plastic bags instead of cardboard boxes, a felony.

Sean Taylor is not in either of those two categories. Thanks Larry, with friends like this, who needs enemies?

UPDATE: I think it’s a reasonable argument to make that someone so dangerous they can’t be trusted with a firearm ought to be in jail. But the fact is, we let dangerous people out of jail. That they should be in jail rather than roaming the streets is a reasonable thing to argue, but is a separate issue from the second amendment. There are definitely prohibited people out there who don’t deserve to be prohibited, and I think our current laws cast way too broad a net, but someone charged with threatening with a firearm and aggravated assault, that plead down to misdemeanor battery, is not someone I’d go before the public with as an example. To me, for a pro-gun leader to do that doesn’t help the cause, and would do more to turn people off to the second amendment than bring people over to our side.

UPDATE: Here’s the WaPo article from the time:

According to a police report, Taylor and a co-defendant, Charles Elwood Caughman, 19, of Baltimore, drove up to a residence in a blue 2005 GMC Yukon Denali sport-utility vehicle and Taylor pointed a gun at two individuals he believed had stolen two all-terrain vehicles from him and demanded they be returned. No shots were fired and Taylor and Caughman left the scene before returning 10 minutes later.

At this point, police say Taylor, whom the team lists as 6 feet 2, 231 pounds, exited the vehicle and began assaulting one victim, swinging and missing with a closed fist before a fight ensued. Caughman, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on the night of the incident, chased the other victim with a baseball bat before he and Taylor fled the scene, according to the police report. The incident took place less than two miles from Taylor’s residence in Miami.

Under these circumstances, the two victims would have been justified legally in shooting Sean Taylor and  Charles Elwood Caughman dead where they stood.  Do you want these two being used to help promote the second amendment?

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. More Mayor Updates
  2. Kinky Fetish Goes Horribly Awry
  3. Republicans Sell Out the Free Market – Again

The Guns

The deranged psycho responsible for the Church Shootings in Colorado, who’s life was mercifully dispatched with great prejudice by Ms. Assam, apparently had the following firearms:

  • Bushmaster XM15 assault rifle, purchased January 9 in Aurora.
  • AK-47 assault rifle, purchased November 17, 2006 in Aurora.
  • Beretta .40 cal. semi-automatic handgun , purchased January 4 in Colorado Springs.
  • Springfield Armory 9mm semi-automatic handgun, purchased September 11 in Denver.

The AK-47 was the assault rifle found in his car.

Purchased over the period of a year. Sometimes tells me he didn’t just come up with this idea.

UPDATE: Uncle asks “Then, how’d he die from a self-inflicted shotgun wound?”  Good question.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Note To Media
  2. Paul Helmke Wouldn’t Know an AK-47 …
  3. Two Things Don’t Add Up

Fred’s Zinger

In the Iowa Debates:

“My goal is to get to Mitt Romney’s situation where I don’t have to worry about taxes anymore.”

Mitt responds, by saying he’d like to be in Thompson’s situation.

“Well you’re getting to be a pretty good actor actually,” Thompson quips

How is this guy not doing better?

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Mitt the Panderer
  2. Mitt it Toast
  3. Rally Around McCain for Michigan

Janet Huckabee on Concealed Carry

From MS-NBC:

Huckabee: I do. I would hardly say I’m a marksman. I definitely would not go that far. But again, I’ve had my concealed-weapon license for quite a while — I’ve actually had mine longer than my husband. It’s something that, I think, if you’re going to have a weapon, you should go learn how to shoot it.

Douglass: I guess the question was, why a concealed weapon?

Huckabee: Well, because if you have one in your vehicle or something and it’s under your seat, if you don’t have a license you could be in serious trouble. I’ve traveled across the country with two females. I think it’s a dangerous situation that perhaps you could be stranded. There’s, to me, nothing wrong with being able to protect yourself.

Can’t argue with that, but I’m still sticking with Fred.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Huckabee the Big Winner?
  2. Obama on Concealed Carry
  3. Iowa Called for Huckabee