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Predictably, gun banners plan to exploit murder of Seattle police officer
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Never let it be said that the gun prohibitionist lobby passes up an opportunity to exploit a crime victim to promote its political agenda, but in the case of slain Seattle Police Officer Timothy Q. Brenton, a new speed record for insensitivity may have been achieved.
Recall, I wrote about the possibility of exploitation of this crime by anti-gun hysterics yesterday. Predictably, the gun control crowd has descended to the occasion.
Washington CeaseFire President Ralph Fascitelli is today being quoted by Seattle Weekly’s Nina Shapiro, announcing that he plans to use Brenton’s slaying as a key talking point when lobbying in January for a statewide ban on so-called “assault weapons.” And in a quote, Fascitelli’s agenda is clear: It doesn’t matter what the murder weapon was, he still will use this killing to push a ban.
“Maybe this particular [police victim] wasn’t killed with an assault weapon,” Fascitelli is quoted as stating, “but the next one maybe will be.”
Fascitelli says he believes the timing may be right this year because of a number of sympathetic legislators, including Adam Kline (D-Seattle) and others on the Senate Commerce Committee, where the bill will be introduced.
An outraged Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, perhaps put it best in a statement released to the press.
“Over the years,” Gottlieb said, “I have watched as anti-gun extremists rushed to exploit violent crimes to push their agenda, but this case signals a despicable new low in behavior. Fascitelli is essentially dancing in Officer Brenton’s blood, and he ought to be ashamed.”
This is hardly the first time Washington CeaseFire—a group that claims to have some 6,000 members statewide, a veritable fly speck when stacked against an estimated 85,000-90,000 National Rifle Association members, and tens of thousands of other gun owners affiliated with Gottlieb’s CCRKBA, the Second Amendment Foundation and Washington Arms Collectors—has tried to exploit a tragedy. In March 2006, CeaseFire rushed to exploit the Capitol Hill Massacre as a launch pad for legislating against everything from semiautomatic sport-utility rifles to the amount of ammunition someone can own. They even suggested that regulating gun shows was on their radar screen, even though killer Kyle Huff did not buy either of his guns at a gun show, but from retail outlets in his home state of Montana. At the time, I ripped the gun control lobby in an opinion piece published by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Evergreen State citizens should pay close attention over the next couple of months to see which politicians jump to Fascitelli's Pavlovian gun control mantra. He has already apparently identified Seattle's perennial anti-gun State Sen. Adam Kline as someone receptive to this kind of politicking.
While Fascitelli is engaging in graveside politics, the Washington segment of OpenCarry.org, a loosely-knit national open carry community, has been feverishly working over the past 24 hours to set up some kind of memorial fund, or at least gather contributions that can be donated to a memorial fund that has been set up at any Bank of America branch. They are to be commended.
That fund, incidentally, is called the Brenton Family Assistance Fund.
“The Citizens Committee and Second Amendment Foundation extend their sincere sympathy to Officer Brenton’s family and to the Seattle Police Department,”—Alan Gottlieb.
While Gottlieb has expressed sympathy and prayers to Brenton’s family and his colleagues at the Seattle Police Department, Washington CeaseFire is out there trying to capitalize on what amounts to the assassination of a police officer to shore up his gun prohibition agenda in Olympia. Not a word of condolence, not a hint of remorse.
Gottlieb summed up his contempt thusly: “If we are to judge any movement by its leadership, the citizens of Washington State and especially its state legislators should be outraged at the callousness now being exhibited by Washington CeaseFire. Frankly, I am appalled."
At this writing, a $60,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Officer Brenton's killer by Crime Stoppers (206) 343-2020 and the Seattle Police Officer's Guild. Tips may be called in to the Seattle Police Department at (206) 233-5000.
A memorial service will be held Friday at Seattle's Key Arena at 1 p.m.
Visit with other Gun Rights Examiners:
And Don’t forget to visit:
For more info: Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Second Amendment Foundation. National Rifle Association.
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