Category: Gun Rights

Apparently Frank Lautenberg doesn’t appreciate the recent happenings in Georgia in terms of airport carry.

Lautenberg’s Firearm-Free Airports Act calls for banning individuals from carrying firearms into U.S. commercial airports. “In the post-9/11 world, it simply defies common sense that it would be legal to carry a gun into an airport,” Lautenberg says.

Lautenberg’s measure would make an exception for law enforcement, security personnel and military personnel on active duty. Passengers would still be allowed to check unloaded firearms in a locked case in their luggage.

The bill is S.3366 and needless to say is entirely unacceptable. It would essentially create a ten year federal felony for carrying in a building in any airport or on any airfield. It’s hard to see how this wouldn’t affect private pilots, who currently have no restrictions on transportation or carry in their own planes because they typically don’t move through a sterile area before boarding their aircraft, and aren’t subject to security screening under FAA regulations.

But for General Aviation, this isn’t just about carry. This would ban private pilots from transporting firearms in their own planes at all, unless they fly out of an unregulated airport, because they do not fall under a proper exemption. So basically, if you had a buddy up in Alaska who has his own plane (not uncommon for Alaskans), it would be unlawful for him to fly you out to his place for a hunting trip, because there’s no way you or he can legally possess a firearm once you’re no longer part of a commercial flight. Anyone who did this and got caught would be facing a ten year federal felony.

Lautenberg is a snake when it comes to this stuff. It’s amazing how just about every piece of gun control legislation he introduces makes it easy to commit and accidental felony. That’s probably the idea, really.

UPDATE: Looking at federal definitions for airfield, this bans having a firearm at any airfield. Since and airfield that does not run commercial flights can’t check your firearm according to federal regulations, all firearms in these facilities would be made unlawful, so no transporting firearms in General Aviation at all.

UPDATE: I’d also note that it doesn’t make clear you’d be covered if you were leaving the airport with a firearm in checked luggage. Presumably it would, but how fast do you have to get out of the airport? What if you stop in the bathroom?

I thought for a bit about how to cover this, but I thought that Jim Geraghty and Cam Edwards of NRANews did a better job than I could ever do commenting on the remarks of Mexican President Calderon before the United States Congress.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNe06W4xosM[/youtube]

Normally I would agree that this is pretty bad diplomacy, but I think there’s a domestic contingent that is quite happy to have the Mexican President come before the Congress and demand we re-instate the assault weapons ban. I don’t think this was an accident, and we should be angry that so many Democrats applauded him.

But why don’t we have these problems on our side of the border? This came up during the segment too, and my take is that, in addition to having a relatively uncorrupt police force and military, Americans have a fairly long history of dealing harshly with unsavory elements that try to terrorize communities into submission. In terms of the conflagration boiling down in Mexico, that has in our history crossed over our borders, and we have a history of arming ourselves against it. Dave Hardy posts an advertisement from Auto Ordinance from the 1920s which clearly markets the gun as a way to repeal border raiders.

Apparently you can rent a gun without a background check. There’s always going to be a loophole.

NRA backed an Amendment floated by Brad Ellsworth which prevents the military from destroying once-fired brass, allowing it to be sold on the open market. Excellent. Now if we can just get them to stop demiling the ammunition in the first place.

Not surprised to see Ellsworth taking up the mantle. He’s running for the open Senate seat in Indiana that was vacated by Evan Bayh, against a Republican who has a dicey past voting record when it comes to the Second Amendment.

Looks like the Governor of Tennessee has really been running from his campaign promises, since he once again has vetoed restaurant carry. Linoge talked to State Senator Doug Jackson to find out what happens from here.

The Brady Campaign are announcing that they are getting hearings for the Gun Show bill in the 111th Congress. This isn’t panic time yet, but this does mean the bill is picking up at least a bit of momentum. Hearings aren’t good.

The hearings have been promised by Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott. Scott is a member of the Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. What’s surprising is that it took this long to even get a hearing when you consider the makeup of the committee. The Chairman is D rated, and the highest graded Democrat is a C, with the rest being largely Fs. We’re good on the Republican side, with all our members being friendly.

I don’t like that this bill is getting a hearing. We don’t have the votes to stop it in subcommittee. Looking at the larger Judiciary Committee, Conyers is the Chair, and he’s F rated. You need four votes on that committee to defeat a bill, and we can’t flip four Dems on that committee if it comes to a vote. Granted, a vote is a long way from a hearing, and we could probably stop this on the House floor. And even if we can’t, we can get Reid to kill it in the Senate.

But after November we might not have Reid, and who knows if the Republicans can flip the House. Better hope.

Joe reports Bloomberg has eased New York City’s gun laws somewhat. He’s not doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He knows New York is next after Chicago. I would love to watch the look on his face as he signs this stuff into law.