Chief Cathy L. Lanier and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty
at the U.S. Supreme Court Building after arguments
on whether DC firearms laws violate the Constitution.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
"We will continue to be vigilant and work hard to get guns off the street," New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione promises in an Aug. 15 media release.
How?
“I am appealing to those people to help us get these weapons off the streets by passing on information anonymously through Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 so guns can be seized and destroyed.
“By passing on information anonymously, you can save a life. We don’t have to know who you are or where you are. We just have to know where the weapon is or who is carrying the weapon,” he said.
I guess all those Australian "gun control" measures we heard about a few years back haven't worked? Not that we've done any "better" in this country.
Take Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier--please! From an Associated Press report in The Washington Times:
Lanier unveiled the "Got Guns?" initiative on Friday. She says people can call in anonymously and receive up to $1,000 for tips that result in authorities recovering a gun.
Regular readers will recall we've covered this ground here before. And before that, when I wrote the following for GUNS Magazine about a similar program in New York:
If I'm a drug dealer and I want to eliminate the competition, why not let New York's finest do the job for me? Chances are, my rivals will be packing, so I'll not only get them busted, but I'll collect a cool grand per head. And if I'm really lucky, maybe one or more of them will go for their waistbands and I can get the cops to take 'em out for me.
Or what if I'm just mad at somebody? What if some bum has stolen my girl or I think a guy ripped me off or I'm just a creep who wants to victimize someone for the twisted hell of it? This would be a pretty sweet way of doing that, wouldn't you say? Sic the cops on 'em, maybe get 'em killed, and remember: even the police won't know who I am...
Or what if I'm [a crooked police officer]? What if I have no probable cause for a search warrant, but I don't want to let the Fourth Amendment get in my way any more than the Second does in NYC? Why not just call in the tip myself, and enjoy a toll-free bypass around the Constitution?
True, our Constitutional protections don't apply to New South Wales. I'm concerned about where they do apply--or where they're supposed to.
------------
An addition to The "Only Ones" Files
Again, regular readers are familiar with this effort, compiling a news account archive to disprove the notion perpetuated by authoritarians and the ignorant that police are the only ones who can be trusted with guns. (The phrase owes its origin to DEA agent Lee Paige, who told a classroom full of schoolkids he was "the only one in this room professional enough that I know of to carry a Glock .40" and then proceeded to shoot himself in the foot on camera.)
Meet Florida City Police Chief Pedro Taylor, who makes the case for me by losing his gun at a children's park. You can view a video report here.
And a note to the "Authorized Journalists" at JustNews.com/WPLG Local 10: It wasn't a "revolver."
And sorry, reporter Glenna Milberg, but the "little boy" did not do "exactly what he was supposed to do" by picking a loaded gun up.
Good grief. Does anyone actually look to these people for information?
------------
A semi-automatic record correction
I'm pleased to announce that after a few email exchanges, the Akron Beacon Journal has issued a correction after I informed them the "submachine gun" they reported on was really a semi-automatic.
Click here to read it. The Metro News editor also sent me a pdf copy of the print edition, so they've covered all bases.
The object lesson here is, it is within our power to help get the truth out if we are credible, persuasive and persistent. Which is what "our side" is, right?
It's nice to see my home town paper was willing to correct the record.
More from Gun Rights Examiners:
Atlanta Ed Stone
Austin Howard Nemerov
Boston Ron Bokleman
Charlotte Paul Valone
Cheyenne Anthony Bouchard
Chicago Don Gwinn
Denver Dan Bidstrup
Des Moines Sean McClanahan
Detroit Rob Reed
Fort Smith Steve D. Jones
Knoxville Liston Matthews
Los Angeles John Longenecker
Minneapolis John Pierce
National David Codrea
Seattle Dave Workman
St. Louis Kurt Hofmann
Tucson Chris Woodard
Comments
Correcting the MSM press can be done sometimes, but the correction or retraction is usually found on a back page in type smaller than ant tracks. The first impression is usually the only one you get to make, even face to face.
Rather than spending a lot of time writing to newspapers, or even anti-gun websites, I've found that my greatest success comes from talking to people as I go through my daily life. I openly carry a gun (I know, not everyone can) and when people ask me about it, I can tell them!
Those who cannot (or will not) carry openly can at least bring it up in conversation where appropriate, and offer to take friends or relatives to the range and teach them more.
Anonymity and silence might make one feel better about carrying, but it's never going to help your family and neighbors understand that you are a sane, safe person who would help them in an emergency.
I have been posting you on my facebook for sometime why the reason for the change? My intentions was to post this one! I have been reaching many this way.
In ancient Venice, you could drop a little note in the constables box, and they would go out and pick up the "offender", tie their hands behind their back, and take them out and drop them in the ocean. Or strangle them suddenly in the jail. About the only thing I got out of this knowledge is that mankind lusts after ways to treat their fellow man like garbage. Isn't it great that with this knowledge we hand people a gun and a badge and expect utopia? They're Only Ones allright, the only ones who seem to delight in displaying their stupidity.
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Q1. Now if a person is of adult-age, has not been convicted of a crime through due process, and as a result of that conviction has had his or her right to keep and bear arms restricted or revoked-- according to the Constitution of the United States, does or does not that person have a right to keep and bear arms?
Q2. If a person, by force, attempts to intentionally violate any of the rights of another person, is, or is not that person the perpetrator of an actual crime?
Q3. Is or is not the general rule of force--use of only that amount of force necessary to cause the perpetrator of a crime to cease and desist their actions?
Q4. If the person engaged in the commission of a crime is known to be armed, would a reasonable person not expect the perpetrator would use whatever means they have available to them, including using that firearm, to complete the act of violating their rights?
cont'd
miami dade polices please help our young people from dieing ever day get on ya job help stop the violes in the comments and in the street let clean up the street bye takeing back our guns
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!