Friday, October 25, 2013

Gun Control Won't Stop School Massacres

Every time there is a mass shooting by a deranged shooter, talks of enacting more gun control measures resurface. On Tuesday, a 12-year-old boy at a middle school in Sparks, Nev., shot and killed a math teacher, Matthew Landsberry, with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Two 12-year-old boys were injured. The teacher, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, heroically placed himself between the killer and other students and tried to talk the student out of harming others. Sadly, the teacher was unsuccessful and the student killed him then took his own life. None of the school district’s 38 resource police officers were on the school’s campus at the time of the shooting.

The Obama administration responded immediately calling for more gun control measures. But it is extremely unlikely more gun control laws would have prevented this shooting. The current effort to ban “assault rifles” again wouldn’t ban this 9mm pistol. The student got the gun from his parents because they apparently failed to keep it securely locked up. The gun control lobby will clamor for trigger locks and gun safe requirements, claiming they would have prevented this senseless murder  – some insurance companies will not provide home insurance for gun owners unless there are trigger locks in the home – but that doesn’t stop irresponsible individuals from failing to use the trigger locks and gun safes. Passing more gun control laws just means more mass shootings will involve illegal activity.

The problem isn’t guns, it is people. There will always be evil people, and there will always be irresponsible people. In the modern era, parents are permissively and lazily allowing their children to play unlimited violent video games and watch unlimited violent television. Studies have proven over and over again there is a correlation between high levels of these activities and violent behavior in children. As long as parents are allowing these savage mediums to babysit their kids, instead of taking the time to really parent them, some of these children are going to act out violent tendencies.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

My interview with the NRA's Cam & Co about Obamacare and gun control

Monday, October 21, 2013

Watch Your Guns Around Obamacare

What does gun control have to do with health care? As odd as it seems, Obamacare contains provisions that jeopardize gun ownership, especially for veterans. Anti-gun provisions were added to initial drafts of Obamacare legislation under the pretext of prohibiting people with mental illness – which can include PTSD - from owning guns. Fortunately, the NRA stepped in and got some of the worst language revised last December. Senate amendment 3276, Sec. 2716, part c.prohibits the creation of a firearms database and stops doctors from disclosing or collecting information relating to a patient’s firearms. Ironically, this provision was probably the only positive result of most members of Congress not bothering to read the bill before voting on it.
However, the provision does not go as far as prohibiting doctors from asking their patients if there are any firearms in their home. In January, Obama issued 23 executive actions and orders regarding firearms. Order 16 stressed that Obamacare does not prohibit doctors from asking patients about their firearms, and the fact sheet includes, “Clarify that no federal law prevents health care providers from warning law enforcement authorities about threats of violence.” What constitutes a “threat of violence” could be very arbitrary. This puts doctors in a difficult position by suggesting they act as pseudo-law enforcement agents. It is damaging to doctor-patient privilege. If doctors have a patient with PTSD or mental illness, and they fail to ask the patient about their firearms, or report them to law enforcement, they could be on the hook later. It encourages them to err on the side of snooping into their patients’ guns. This is especially troubling considered the definition of mental illness keeps expanding.
The state of Florida implemented legislation that would have severely restricted a doctor’s ability to ask a patient about guns at home, but a federal court struck it down as unconstitutional. After the NRA got that provision added, the organization backed off on pressing for further changes, no doubt because trying to get more changes done at that time would have been impossible with the Democratic-controlled Senate and presidency. But there are still areas within our healthcare laws that could prohibit Americans from owning firearms – specifically our veterans.

Friday, October 18, 2013

AG Tom Horne again found to have violated law, must return $400,000 in campaign contributions

For the second time, a prosecutor has found that liberal Republican Tom Horne violated campaign finance laws by illegally coordinating with crony Kathleen Winn on her independent expenditure committee. Both Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk found the independent expenditures were illegally made in-kind contributions. Polk wrote in part, "\“When Home sent strategic information to a supposedly independent campaign, he intentionally and blatantly broke the barrier that was supposed to exist between his campaign and BLA. The breach is so clear that Home must have recognized it to be improper,” Polk wrote, adding that it “is clear that BLA’s expenditures were based on the needs of the Horne campaign.”

Horne defeated conservative Andrew Thomas for Attorney General in 2010 and then Democrat Felecia Rotellini in the general election. Horne campaigned running nonstop TV ads which claimed that Thomas was under "criminal investigation by the FBI." All he was referring to was the county supervisors' complaints to the DOJ about Thomas and Arpaio. Thomas and Arpaio were ultimately cleared by the DOJ through a grand jury.

Horne, on the other hand, continues to be mired in investigations that aren't going away. The feds are investigating him and he recently pled guilty to a misdemeanor for a hit and run accident, where he slammed into a car while leaving his mistress's house (Horne is married). There may be some more ongoing investigations into that.

Meanwhile, conservative Mark Brnovich is gaining steam against Horne. Inside polling reveals that Horne cannot beat Rotellini in the general election, and conservatives and Tea Parties are lining up behind Brnovich.

Read the ABC-15 article

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Deja Vu: The Pretend Debt Ceiling Crisis

The impending debt ceiling vote is much more important than the budget vote of a couple of weeks ago, the delay of which allegedly “shut down government.” This is because the budget vote - which is actually just a temporary continuing resolution - can be resolved by taking out the provision that guts Obamacare. While it would be wonderful to defund Obamacare through this gimmick, sometimes it’s better to take on one battle at a time, rather than try to throw everything in there at once. The pro-life movement has learned this lesson over the years; instead of attempting to pass sweeping, multipart bills against abortion, they’ve learned to propose incremental changes. When they have tried to pack too much into one bill or initiative, it usually ends up defeated.  

The problem is Obama and the Democrats in Congress are now using the government shutdown as a negotiating card on the debt limit. They won’t negotiate with the GOP on the debt ceiling until the GOP backs down on trying to defund Obamacare as part of the budget. The GOP can’t expect to negotiate a win on the budget from a position of weakness. The Democrats control the Senate and the presidency, and to hope to pull off a coup on the budget as the underdog is unrealistic. As we’ve learned from past history, particularly the government shutdowns of 1995-96, a showdown over the government shutdown will most likely end up backfiring on Republicans. Most Americans have no idea how serious the government shutdown is, so they are taking it very seriously. They hear from the left-leaning media that the GOP is continuing to keep it shut down because of insistence on a gimmick to defund Obamacare, and so they blame the GOP.

Republicans would have been better off backing off on the government shutdown, and instead sinking their teeth into the fight over increasing the debt ceiling. There will be a more realistic opportunity to repeal Obamacare in 2016 if the GOP can retake the presidency and possibly the Senate. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Brnovich opens campaign with appeal to grassroots conservatives

Here are some excerpts from the Arizona Capitol Times reporting on Mark Brnovich's campaign for Attorney General against scandal-plagued liberal Republican Tom Horne. The Arizona Capitol Times is paid-subscription only, but it's worth the price as the best (and fairest) newspaper in the state. Its Yellow Sheet alone is the best political tipsheet in the state. Horne had the perfect opportunity to stop Brewer's unconstitutional expansion of Obamacare with the Medicaid expansion and didn't do a thing. Brnovich would have stepped in. Horne used to be a liberal Democrat. He can't be trusted. If reelected, we don't know what he will do since he's dishonest.  Remember the SEC issue, cheating on his wife, violating campaign finance laws, even a hit and run. He's the AG, not a Democrat running for NYC mayor.

by Jeremy Duda

Newly minted attorney general candidate Mark Brnovich hit the campaign trail and laid out his case for why GOP voters should choose him over Tom Horne, bashing the incumbent attorney general for legal and ethical problems that have plagued him and alleging that Horne hasn’t done enough to defend conservative principles. 

At an Oct. 7 meeting of the Arizona Project, a north Phoenix-based Tea Party organization, Brnovich urged about two dozen conservative activists to support him over Horne for both philosophical and political reasons. Brnovich resigned from his position as director of the Arizona Department of Gaming on Sept. 20 and filed to run for attorney general several days later.

Philosophically, he said Horne has insufficiently fought federal overreach and violations of states’ rights on issues such as environmental regulations and the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. On the political side, Brnovich said they should support him because he’s the only Republican candidate who can win the general election.

Ultimately it’s Horne’s legal and ethical issues that led some Republicans to seek a challenger in the GOP primary. The Yavapai County Attorney’s Office is investigating the campaign finance allegations against Horne. He pleaded no contest to leaving the scene after backing into a car in a downtown Phoenix parking garage. He is facing a lawsuit in federal court from an employee who alleges that Horne retaliated against her for her political affiliations and for reporting the campaign finance allegations to the FBI. And an FBI report accused him of having an extramarital affair with an employee whom he gave a six-figure job.
 
Brnovich said attorney general candidate Felecia Rotellini and other Democrats are hoping that Horne will be the nominee.

>Brnovich said Horne should have been more aggressive in challenging Obamacare and federal overreach, such as controversial Environmental Protection Agency regulations on the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station.

Brnovich questioned why Horne didn’t opine on whether Gov. Jan Brewer’s Medicaid expansion plan was subject to a constitutional provision requiring a two-thirds vote for all tax increases, chastised him for his agency’s defense of the Arizona Board of Cosmetology in a lawsuit by a Gilbert spa owner, and several times reminded the crowd that Horne used to be a Democrat.

“We need an attorney general that’s going to be more aggressive in keeping the federal government off our backs,” Brnovich said. “I think the attorney general needs to be much more aggressive in fighting federal overreach.”

Click here for the full article 





Saturday, October 5, 2013

Congressman David Schweikert Calls For Civility


Or, read the transcript below. We recommend you watch the speech, though, because Schweikert is an outstanding speaker.
Can We Disagree Without Being Disagreeable? 
I want share something from the heart that actually has disturbed me watching this debate between the House and the Senate over the last few days. It’s time to take a step backwards and reflect on our use of language and tone, and reflect on our civility as a governing body over this last week. 
The President got behind the microphones and was literally talking down the stock market, suggesting that it was time that Wall Street should be concerned. One of the intelligence services officials expressed fear that the furloughed intelligence service officers are now bribable because they are furloughed. I've had members come beside me and use words like 'terrorist,' and 'gun to the head.' To all my brothers and sisters here in Congress and for the blogs and the reporters and the political operatives around this country-- You are better; We are better than this.

Take a step backward and ask why the viciousness and the fear-mongering from the liberals when this argument is actually pretty darn simple?  Those of us on the conservative side believe we have reached out-- over and over-- to negotiate a resolution.  The path to finding a solution is simple.  Senator Reid needs to agree to a conference committee, put the members in a room and let them start talking.   Two years ago, the Democrats lit up the phones in my office demanding that we talk and negotiate on other issues. So why was that demand acceptable in the summer of 2011, but we can’t demand the same today?

Unfortunately, this same rhetoric of fear is now heading towards the debt ceiling debate and the “you're going to default” discussion.  Anyone who says that is looking you in the eyes and lying. Either that or they don't own a calculator.

We've got to understand the math. This country takes in 18% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in taxes and we pay out 2% in debt coverage. In 2014 we have $1.6 trillion in re-financing. The fact of the matter is, any way you see the model, it’s simply implausible that we would miss making our interest payments.

I understand we have different views. I strongly believe the Affordable Care Act, “Obamacare,” is causing businesses to shift full-time positions to part-time jobs and destroying opportunities for our citizens. But I also agree that we need solutions for individuals with pre-existing conditions.

We can disagree without losing our civility and descending into vicious personal attacks. Let’s elevate the discussion back to facts and data and focus on the real issues.

References: 



Friday, October 4, 2013

Trap, Skeet Or Sporting Clays: Which Is Right For You?

Reprinted from the September 2013 issue of Western Shooting Journal
Me with Western Shooting Journal’s shotgun writer, Al Hague, and his Benelli 12-gauge shotgun.
I had the opportunity recently to shoot trap and sporting clays with Western Shooting Journal’s monthly shotgun columnist, Al Hague. I’ve gone skeet shooting before, so I was able to compare and contrast all three. My husband and I met Al at the Seattle Skeet and Trap Club, where SST board member Dave Dalton showed us around, revealing the best the club had to offer.

Both Al and Dave are top shooters, so at first it was a little intimidating. My husband fared slightly better than I, having grown up with shotguns in the Boy Scouts. For those who are new to the clay sports, all three sports involve shooting at moving clay targets that fly up out of a machine. The three sports were created in order to mimic shooting at birds; the targets are also commonly referred to as clay pigeons. 

My husband Brian Symes was a natural, having grown up with shotguns in the Boy Scouts.
SPORTING CLAYS IS the most difficult of the three – but ironically, because it is the most difficult, people take it the least seriously and are more likely to have a good time with it than treat it like a hardcore competition. Al told me it is virtually impossible to hit every target.

Some describe sporting clays as “golf with a shotgun,” because there are many different stations to shoot from, and each is quite different from the other. Nowadays, many ranges don’t bother to mimic the flight path of a bird, but try to make the targets as tricky as possible. The ones that do try to mimic birds in flight will name the various stations accordingly, such as a “grouse station” or “decoy duck” station. Five Stand is a scaled-down version of sporting clays, with only five stations.

Al Hague shooting sporting clays with his Beretta as Dave Dalton from Seattle Skeet and Trap releases the targets.
The best part was having Dave there to help us adjust the target stations – that’s why it’s always wise to get to know the folks running the gun range. Some of the stations had either been inadvertently moved, or purposely moved to make them extremely difficult. Dave knew how to manipulate the stations so we actually stood a decent chance at hitting them.

SHOOTING TRAP INVOLVES targets that fly away from you to the left, straight back, and to the right. You start at a station on the left side and move over a few feet at a time to several other stations, shooting from various angles around a semi-circle. If you are the type of person who is eager to achieve a perfect shooting record, and you have patience, trap may be for you.


Dave Dalton from Seattle Skeet and Trap with his Krieghoff Supersport.
SHOOTING SKEET ALSO requires intense concentration. The targets cross in front of you, unlike trap where they fly away from you. They are shot out of two stations from a variety of angles.

If you’re new to shooting, especially if you’re female or slightly built, here is some advice from me. Consider a lightweight shotgun. After shooting Al’s beautiful Benelli 12-gauge for awhile, my arms were tired. The length of pull was also too long for my arms. It weighed about 8 pounds. Whereas you can find a 12-gauge shotgun for about half that weight. The only drawback is the recoil will be stronger, so make sure you have the proper loads, or you could end up with a little bruising.

A sporting clays team that was ahead of us. Tom Curtis shooting a Blaser, father and daughter team Fred and Rachel Heistuman, and Todd Watson with a Beretta 391. Both Tom and Fred are officers in the fire department.
Overall, I had a great time learning to shoot the other clay targets. Since I am not the most patient person alive, and have poor vision, sporting clays was easily my favorite. I also thoroughly enjoy the outdoors, so walking around the range from one sporting clays station to another was an additional attraction. Shooting with a shotgun is more low-key than shooting with a pistol or rifle, because there is little or no sights to fuss with. Regardless which clay target sport you try, if you go with friends, you will enjoy it.

I, having grown up with shotguns in the Boy Scouts. For those who are new to the clay sports, all three sports involve shooting at moving clay targets that fly up out of a machine. The three sports were created in order to mimic shooting at birds; the targets are also commonly referred to as clay pigeons.

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Thursday, October 3, 2013

In memory of John Greene

A friend just sent us this beautiful eulogy of John Greene, who passed away Tuesday night. 

By Jim Buster



As you know, we all lost a true friend on Wednesday morning, in John Greene. Some of us have known him for many years and others not quite as long.  I think we would all agree, however, that not only was John a brilliant, talented and successful professional, he was much, much more as a man.

Professionally John was an incredibly great legislator.  If you are legally "packing heat" it was because John was a true pioneer in the concealed carry movement. Arizona was among the first states to adopt a concealed carry law and it was due primarily to John's leadership.

As senate president from 1993-1997 John proved to be a successful leader. It wasn't because he was a media hog and a bloviator . . . he was a capable public speaker, but that was not his forte.  He was successful because he was a true team player and someone who wanted his fellow caucus members to get the accolades.  John was the embodiment of the Reagan maxim, "Much can be accomplished provided nobody cares who gets the credit."

So John led his caucus to be successful in tax and regulatory reform in the 90's as Arizona consistently led the way in economic growth. These things don't happen by accident.  John was also a champion in tort reform and presided over the biggest revolution in public education the country had ever seen up to that time.  There is a reason Arizona leads the nation in charter schools per capita.  With John's leadership he and other caucus members as well as House members showed the nation what could be done with educational choice.

I could go on, but space will not permit.  You may not have heard about this, because the press doesn't typically heap praise on Republicans, but then again, you didn't hear it from John either.  You didn't hear it from John because he was the most humble, self-effacing, team playing public servant I ever met.  He was kind, generous and had a servant's heart.

John was a very successful tax attorney, but those who knew him also knew that he didn't really love practicing law. What he loved was public service and not only did he serve as president of the senate, but he served as the director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and most recently as the director of the Arizona Department of Revenue.  He also served as the director of Arizona Board of Equalization and as deputy treasurer for Maricopa County.

In the last few years I watched John grow spiritually. He carried the same zeal he had for everything else in wanting to understand the Bible and the claims of Jesus Christ.  John never did anything halfway and in his spare time studied extensively while getting a theology degree over the internet!

John was always a busy guy, but he loved his wife and doted and bragged on his kids.  Those who knew John will miss him greatly.  He was a rock and a loyal friend. We can take great comfort in knowing that for the believer when we are absent from the body we are present 
with The Lord.  (II Cor. 5:8)

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Republican Mark Brnovich Announces Candidacy for Arizona Attorney General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   CONTACT: Ross Groen
October 2, 2013                                                                                         (480) 221-7545
                                                                                                         mark@mark4az.com

PHOENIX – Mark Brnovich (pronounced burn-o-vich) today entered the race for Arizona Attorney General. Brnovich most recently served as director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, a law enforcement agency charged with regulating tribal casinos. Mark successfully led the agency for four years, during which he cracked down on illegal gambling operations and increased seizures of illegal gambling devices.
“I am running for Attorney General to restore the dignity of the office and make sure it is dedicated to serving the people of Arizona,” said Brnovich.

Raised in Arizona, Mark Brnovich is a graduate of Arizona State University. After law school, Mark prosecuted felonies in the Gang/Repeat Offender Bureau of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and worked as an Assistant Attorney General for Arizona and as Assisting US Attorney for the District of Arizona.  Mark also served his country as Command Staff Judge Advocate for the 153rd Field Artillery Brigade of the Arizona Army National Guard for eight years.
 
"I am proud to support Mark Brnovich for Attorney General,” said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, “Arizona needs someone who not only has a proven track record of being tough on crime but someone whose integrity is beyond reproach."

Mark met his wife Susan while both were working as prosecutors. They live in Phoenix with their two daughters.

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