Philadelphia ‘Gun Violence’ Counselor Reportedly Shoots Male Prostitute to Death

While Philadelphia's useful idiots demand to disarm you, look at what one of the city's “gun violence crisis responders” has reportedly done while on the job. (Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office/Facebook)

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “A Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office employee who works with victims of gun violence has been placed on administrative leave and is being investigated for fatally shooting a man who tried to rob him Tuesday morning,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “DeVonte' Douglass, who aids victims of gun violence as a peer crisis responder in the office’s Crisis Assistance, Response, and Engagement for Survivors (CARES) program, is being investigated for fatally shooting Vernon Harris, 31, just before 10 a.m. …”

That makes it fair to ask what Philadelphia city worker hours are and if Douglass was supposed to be out and about counseling victims (or as the DA Newsletter puts it, “finding creative ways to keep taking care of their clients”), particularly since the man he allegedly killed has been “described by authorities as a male prostitute [who] tried to rob Douglass at gunpoint.”

Big Trial, a Philadelphia trial blog, fill in some details:

“According to police, the two black males met at 27th and Cambria. Douglass, 28, of the 2900 block of North Bambrey St.,  got into a white Dodge Durango driven by Harris, 31, of the 1800 block of Harrison Street, and then they drove to the cemetery. After their encounter, which took place in the back seat of the vehicle, with the windows open, Douglass told police, Harris stood outside the vehicle and pointed a gun at Douglass, and demanded all his money.”

So it was a business meeting, just not official business. Because he was reportedly wearing his DA ID badge, it’s fair to assume Douglass did not use up vacation time or take an approved leave. And that makes it fair to wonder what it is about working for the City of Philadelphia that makes employees feel comfortable engaging in such blatant policy violations on the people’s dime — and not fear having to honestly account for their time.

It’s also fair to wonder, since prostitution is a crime, if using a gun during its commission won’t have any accessory carryover. And while few would dispute Douglass’ right to defend himself, it is curious that he is a “gun violence professional” working in an anti-gun administration for Larry Krasner, a soft on (actual) crime DA.

It's no surprise that Philadelphia is a “Bloomberg Mayors” city, and one that is continually trying to pass infringements in violation of state preemption laws. So it’s good for Douglass that he already has his concealed carry permit, because the city, using COVID as an excuse, is making citizens wait months instead of the required 45 days.

He does have a permit, doesn’t he?

That’s not clear, because Big Trial says “Police recovered a 9 mm gun registered to Douglass.” Since that’s not a requirement (the prior link to the city administration says “PA records handgun sales in a state database”), one wonders if they meant he had a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms. Noting his position with the city, that’s something to be looked into, as well as if that means he was compliant with state law on guns in vehicles and Philadelphia Code on guns in public facilities like his place of employment.

Since Krasner’s office has recused itself, we’ll need to wait to see what the state investigation concludes, and how many of these points are raised.

“Your Philly DA’s office: where Krasner hires an employee who allegedly ends up shooting and killing a man,” The Inquirer article quotes a U.S. attorney and strong critic of the district attorney. “You can’t even make this stuff up. The destruction that Krasner has wrought on that office is a tragedy.”

The mess “progressive” policies have made of the Democrat-controlled city is pretty evident by events unfolding in Philadelphia, with riots and looting and burning over police defending themselves against a knife-wielding “family man” who:

“…had at least three standing protection from abuse orders filed against him, by his mother and the mother of his children … was arrested for stabbing the mother of his children [was arrested] for kicking the windows and door panels of a police vehicle [and] during a robbery… allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck, and … held a gun to her head… [H]e violated a protection order filed by his mother by throwing water in her face, punching her in the face, and threatening to shoot her [and] was a mentally ill career criminal with some 18 arrests; an amateur rapper seen on video cavorting with guns that, as a convicted felon, he was barred from possessing…”

In a seeming  sick parody of what the entire Black Lives Matter movement is supposed to be about (as opposed to the Chinese communist-manipulated subversion that it is), we are “treated” to such examples of cognitive dissonance as “Looter Calls Philly Police to Report Looting After Fellow Looters Steal His Car” and “Looters were shooting looters.”

None of that is more absurdly contradictory than a “gun violence crisis responder” working for an anti-gun administration reportedly shooting a prostitute to death while on the job. That seems as good an excuse for more riots as any, but for some reason, it's getting a pass. The U.S. attorney is right. You literally cannot make this stuff up.

And these are the people who want our guns.

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About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.

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The Kyle Rittenhouse Incident… A Documentary – Review

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- The documentary is one hour and nine minutes long. It was easy to watch and understand. Video is interspersed with stills, explanations, and slow-motion examination of the events on 25 August 2020.

The producer of V-Radio has done an in-depth documentary of the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings. He has done an exhaustive search of available video, and public records. The result is a detailed analysis of what happened in Kenosha and of the participants in the shootings.

The producer says he is an independent who leans left. He voted for Bernie Sanders twice. He says he went into the project as an investigative journalist, with the thought Kyle was some form of a crazed active shooter.

The facts changed his mind. He says the truth should not be a partisan issue. He calls for independent thought.

One of the commenters on the site writes this:

I’m “left” also…. The names I was called, friends I lost, and the accusations I received… just for trying tirelessly, to share the truth, has been as shocking to me as the knowledge about how much the media has lied about this.

The video starts by showing multiple clips of Kyle explaining why he is there, and asking people if they need help.

The documentary identifies the groups defending the businesses in Kenosha as Libertarian, not a right-wing militia.

The producer shows several clips giving an overall explanation of the conflicts between the “protestors” (rioters) and the libertarian protectors of the businesses.

The multiple clips showing conflict show clear and compelling differences between the defenders and those pushing to burn and destroy property. All of the conflict was about preventing people from destroying things.

The documentary shows details with the dumpster fires. It shows conflicts with Rosenbaum, the first person shot, and Rosenbaum being incensed about the prevention of destruction.

One of the new pieces of information is the testimony of a threat by Rosenbaum before the shooting.

The documentary shows a clip of Ryan Thomas Balch, who was with Kyle Rittenhouse. Balch says Rosenbaum told them, “If I catch one of you alone, you're dead.” Balch says the incident was not recorded.

A screenshot of the sex offender registration of Rosenbaum is shown, and the reason it can no longer be found on the Internet.

The producer spends some time on the importance of Alex Blaine, alias Josh Ziminski, the first shooter. Not only did he fire the first shot, he then directed rioters to go after Kyle Rittenhouse. Ziminski has been arrested in the case.

Images from Kyle Rittenhouse documentary, screen shots, of Alex Blaine/Joshua Ziminski spliced, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

The McGinnis testimony about Rosenbaum attempting to grab Kyle's rifle is included. There is a clear accounting of eight gunshots fired just before to just after Rosenbaum was shot and killed.

The director gives permission to mirror the video. It has been included on the #Fightback site and has been submitted to the Kenosha County prosecutor's office, as evidence.

The video contains considerable information which was added as more people submitted clips and relevant public documents.

If you are interested in the facts of the Kyle Rittenhouse case, this documentary is a must-watch.

It shows the power of communication and the quest for truth in the digital age.

The combination of ubiquitous recording devices and the Internet makes it hard to suppress the truth.

Kyle Rittenhouse has a court appearance scheduled for 30 October on his extradition. The hearing will be held at the Lake County Courthouse at 18 N County St., in Waukegan, Illinois. It will be interesting to see if any of Kyle's defenders show up to give him moral support outside the courthouse.

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About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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Followup on Ammo Drop-off in La Crosse Wisconsin 24 October, 2020

Screenshot from news8000 video, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- On Saturday Morning, from 8 a.m. to noon, 24 October, 2020, the La Crosse Wisconsin landfill accepted ammunition from people who did not want it, and wished to dispose of it with them, rather than giving it to neighbors or friends.

La Crosse is located on the Mississippi river, and is in the heart of prime Wisconsin deer and pheasant hunting territory.

Fox squirrels abound in the woodlots bordering the cornfields common in the Wisconsin countryside. Geese are so plentiful, they have become a pest. The Mississippi flyway brings large flocks along with abundant local production.  Shotguns and .22 rimfires are commonly used to hunt the squirrels.  Only shotguns may be legally used to hunt waterfowl and other game birds.

I visit Wisconsin on a regular basis. Every little pond and pothole has its resident Canadian goose population. Wild turkey populations have exploded. They are common in urban wood lots and have become a pest where hunting with firearms is banned.

Canadian Geese take off from Wisconsin farm pond courtesy Dean Weingarten

At the same time, the nation is in the throes of an ammunition and gun-buying spree as never experienced before. Many calibers of ammunition are difficult to find on store shelves. At this time, La Crosse County, Wisconsin, decided to accept ammunition that people no longer wanted. From news8000.com:

“Our most frequent request for ammunition disposal comes from people that find it, or are left behind by loved ones, and maybe it’s been sitting around for decades and they just don’t know what to do with it. We’re able to collect it and manage it for proper disposal, and solve a problem for our constituents as well,” said Scott Szymanski, the Operations Manager at the La Crosse County Solid Waste Facility.

They didn't seem to have a large quantity turned in. In the picture below, someone dropped off what appears to be a few boxes of shotgun ammunition.

Screenshot from news8000 video, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

A couple of hundred various deer hunting rounds, including the ubiquitous .30-06 and .30-30 appeared in the video of the drop-off. There were some shotgun rounds and a smattering of handgun rounds. Deer hunting is a popular Wisconsin activity.  Over 600,000 Wisconsin deer hunters buy deer hunting licenses each year.

It appears less than 500 rounds of ammunition were turned in, from the pictures. In the pictures, not one round of .22 rimfire was seen. .22 rimfire is the most common round of ammunition in the United States. About 5 billion rounds of the ammunition is produced in the United States each year. It is becoming hard to find on store shelves, which may explain why none of it appeared in the video of the ammunition drop-off.

No reports of entrepreneurs purchasing ammunition before it was turned in have surfaced. That does not mean it did not happen. It would help to explain the relatively small amount of ammunition collected. There are probably few La Crosse residents who do not know hunters, sportsmen, patriots, or entrepreneurs who would willingly help dispose of ammunition properly, without a fee or a trip to the landfill.

It appears the ammunition being dropped off was being placed into Midway plastic ammo boxes. No doubt, it was done so the ammunition could easily be transported to the facility which would incinerate it.

AmmoLand would love to hear from anyone who was present at the ammunition drop off in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

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About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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Defeat Doug to Defend the Second Amendment

Alabama Needs To Dump Doug

Alabama – -(AmmoLand.com)- Second Amendment supporters have the right to feel frustrated about the situation in Alabama. By all rights, it is a state where a strong Second Amendment supporter should be cruising to an easy re-election. But instead, Doug Jones is trying to get a full six-year term.

So, instead of an easy re-election allowing us Second Amendment supporters to focus our efforts on enabling Second Amendment supporters to win tough races in Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, Arizona, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Michigan, and two races in Georgia (one regularly-scheduled, one special), now we also have to use resources to dump Doug. The reasons why Doug must go are obvious.

For one thing, Jones would support a number of anti-Second Amendment legislative items. In a speech after the Parkland shooting (caused by the fumbles of the FBI and bumbling cowards of Broward County), he called for a number of punishments for the tens of millions of law-abiding gun owners who had no culpability for the horrific act. He backed universal background checks, waiting periods for certain firearms, raising the age limit for certain firearms, and even removing a time limit to complete the background checks (get ready for indefinite waits).

This is in addition to a poor voting record on judges and his support of various campaign finance “reform” schemes that are really intended to help squelch grassroots activism in support of the Second Amendment (among other issues). The fact of the matter is, Doug Jones is worse than Jon Tester and Joe Manchin when it comes to our rights. With Alabama’s track record of respecting our Second Amendment rights, that is unacceptable.

Tommy Tuberville is running to take the seat that Jones holds. While he has never held elective office (as Larry Hogan shows, that comes with risks), but then again, those who had track records have often turned on us, too, like Charlie Crist. The fact of the matter is that we know Jones not only will not support our Second Amendment rights, his first vote in the next Congress would be to put Chuck Schumer in charge. Can you imagine the damage he could do, especially if Sheldon Whitehouse were to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee, or worse, become Attorney General?

Second Amendment supporters need to make sure Doug Jones is destined to depart the Senate come January 3. They can check out Tommy Tuberville’s campaign site, and they should also donate generously to the National Rifle Association’s Political Victory Fund to help ensure the election of those who would defend our Second Amendment rights at all levels of government.

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About Harold Hutchison

Writer Harold Hutchison has more than a dozen years of experience covering military affairs, international events, U.S. politics and Second Amendment issues. Harold was consulting senior editor at Soldier of Fortune magazine and is the author of the novel Strike Group Reagan. He has also written for the Daily Caller, National Review, Patriot Post, Strategypage.com, and other national websites.

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Anti-Gunners Hail Gun Control Legislation Targeting Online Ammo Sales

Anti-Gunners Hail Gun Control Legislation Targeting Online Ammo Sales (Dave Workman photo)

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Federal legislation introduced in September by perennial anti-gun U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) may not have a chance in Congress right now, but it may be a warm-up effort that is already being hailed by the gun prohibition lobby as a way to place restrictions on perfectly-legal businesses, and even publications, that deal with or discuss on-line firearm and ammunition sales.

Their S. 4718 is a short bill, but it could have far-reaching consequences, depending upon how it is implemented.

Here is the full language:

“To amend title 18, United States Code, to make fraudulent dealings in firearms and ammunition unlawful, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Stopping the Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act”.

SEC. 2. FRAUDULENT DEALINGS IN FIREARMS.

(a) In General.—Section 922(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

“(10) for any person—

“(A) to import, manufacture, or sell a firearm or ammunition by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises; and

“(B) to transmit or cause to be transmitted, by means of wire, radio, or television communication in interstate or foreign commerce, any communication relating to the importation, manufacture, or sale described in subparagraph (A).”.

(b) Penalty.—Section 924(a)(1)(B) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting “(a)(10),” before “(f)”.”

According to Lawrence Keane, senior vice president and general counsel at the National Shooting Sports Foundation, S. 4718 is bad news, something akin to the proverbial “camel’s nose under the tent.”

“This is an attempt to weaponize the Soto decision,” Keane said, “to turn truthful advertising gun control groups don’t like into a crime and a basis for ATF to revoke licenses. It is designed to and would chill First Amendment protected commercial speech pertaining to the lawful commerce in firearms and ammunition products and create a basis for suing industry members gutting the PLCAA.”

Keane was referring to Soto v. Bushmaster Firearms, a Connecticut case involving the lawsuit against Bushmaster by the survivors of Sandy Hook victims. In 2019, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that Sandy Hook families could pursue legal action against Bushmaster, which manufactured the rifle used by mass killer Adam Lanza to murder 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012.

The PLCAA is the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005, passed by Congress to prohibit junk lawsuits against firearms manufacturers, distributors and retailers for the misuse of their products.

In a press release announcing their joint legislation, Feinstein asserted, “While some technology companies have banned selling firearms and ammunition on their websites, the problem persists. Our bill would make it illegal for gun sellers to circumvent websites’ terms of service and continue the underground proliferation of firearms. It’s part of a larger effort that needs to be taken to stop the plague of gun violence in our communities.”

Critics contend the language of this legislation will make it possible criminalize any online advertising for firearms or ammunition, a common practice in today’s business environment. Major firms or online publications such as Brownells, Bass Pro, Cabela’s, Sportsman’s Guide and even AmmoLand News could be targeted.

The gun prohibition lobby has been quick to support the measure. They were quoted news releases from both Feinstein and Menendez.

“Internet marketplaces like Facebook are the virtual dark alley where unscrupulous gun sellers go to meet dangerous individuals who are trying to get their hands on a firearm,” said John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Stopping these illegal sales would save lives, and we applaud Senator Feinstein for introducing legislation to do exactly that.”

“Overwhelming majorities of Americans support policies that ensure that individuals who should not possess firearms are not able to purchase them, including online,” said Kris Brown, President of Brady. “Brady is grateful to Senators Feinstein and Menendez for addressing a dangerous practice of falsely advertising firearm sales online. Such sales are designed to circumvent the regulations that help keep our families and communities safe. This is a common-sense fix to a growing problem that applies the spirit of our nation's existing gun safety laws to novel, 21st century issues.”

While The Feinstein-Menendez legislation may get no traction this year, its introduction could be a test to see what chances it might have in a future Democrat-controlled Congress, with a Democrat in the White House willing to sign such a bill.

Companion legislation was introduced Oct. 5 by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA). She, Feinstein and Menendez cranked out boilerplate comments essentially demonizing the firearms industry, and they all appeared to be remarkably similar.

“The fact is, no matter how many times big tech companies claim they’re cracking down on illegal online firearm sales, determined gun sellers and buyers find new ways to get around it,” Sen. Menendez asserted. “With this bill, we are making very clear to gun sellers who are caught illegally moving their weapons online: if you make the sale, you will pay the price.”

“We hear time and time again from big tech companies that they are cracking down on illegal, online gun sales, yet this problem persists, and has extended far beyond traditional websites and is now present on social media platforms,” Congresswoman Scanlon echoed. “This bill would make it illegal for gun sellers to circumvent websites’ terms of service and continue the underground proliferation of firearms. It’s part of a larger effort that needs to be taken to stop the plague of gun violence in our communities.”

Feinstein’s remark appears cut-and-pasted out of the same playbook: “While some technology companies have banned selling firearms and ammunition on their websites, the problem persists. Our bill would make it illegal for gun sellers to circumvent websites’ terms of service and continue the underground proliferation of firearms. It’s part of a larger effort that needs to be taken to stop the plague of gun violence in our communities.”

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About Dave Workman

Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.

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ATF Admits They Would Be Sued for Revoking Ability to use CHPs for Gun Sales

Do ‘universal background checks' really work to reduce gun-related crime? (Dave Workman)

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA –-(Ammoland.com)- Gun Owners of America recently filed a lawsuit against the ATF, after the agency blocked Alabama firearms dealers from allowing buyers to use their concealed handgun permits in place of going through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Federal law says that state concealed handgun permits (CHP) that meet or exceed the requirement of section 922(t)(3) of Title 18 can be used by dealers instead of requiring background checks. Alabama’s concealed firearms permit statute meets the federal requirements because sheriffs are supposed to run applicants through NICS before issuing a permit.

The ATF discovered that some sheriffs in Alabama were not using NICS. Some of these sheriffs were running applicants through The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and other federal databases, but not NICS. Yet NCIC is the same database that NICS pulls its information from before returning with a denial or approval. The ATF decided to revoke dealers’ ability to use CHPs because of a few sheriffs’ actions.

Gun rights advocates worry that the ATF is overstepping its boundaries and making de facto laws. The agency in recent years has rewritten the definition of machine guns to ban bump stocks. It has gone back and forth on whether braces change AR pistols to short-barreled rifles.

In 2016, then Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange told the ATF that Alabama’s statute meets the requirements of federal law. In 2016, ATF agreed. Now ATF has changed its tune, on the theory that some Alabama sheriffs are not complying with state law. Of course, sheriffs not complying with the law doesn’t invalidate Alabama’s statute, or its exemption under 922(t)(3)

AmmoLand examined the administrative record in Lee v. DOJ, 20-cv-632, pending in federal district court in Alabama. It appears that the ATF was aware that it could be sued over its decision to force dealers to run NICS checks on those buyers that have Alabama CHPs.

Division Chief Krissy Carlson of the Firearms and Explosive Industry Division of the ATF seems to have been the primary source of the ATF’s action against Alabama. In an email, ATF Senior Policy Counsel Eric Epstein appears to have warned that there would be a “litigation risk” to the agency over any decision to revoke the Alabama exemption. But as ATF records show, multiple ATF employees decided it was worth the litigation risk because of “public safety.”

On March 22, 2019, Kyle Lallensack, who was Chief of the Firearms Industry Programs Branch (FIPB) for the ATF at the time, wrote in response to Epstein’s warning:

“Even if it’s a litigation risk I think it is worth pursuing based on public safety. It will take a while for this to get fixed by Alabama getting counties to run their permit holders.”

Carlson chimed in, stating, “litigation risk is going to be the least of our concerns.”

In a highly redacted email, it seems that Epstein argued against the issuing of the letter revoking Alabama’s permit exemption, even though he “agree[d] with the concept.” Carlson rebuked Epstein and said that Alabama dealers should not be permitted to use permits for firearms purchases until Alabama ran 60,000+ background checks on permits that had not had a NICS check and prove to the ATF that sheriffs were following state law.

After losing the battle, Epstein appears to have drafted a letter to Alabama, telling the state that dealers could no longer use CHPs in-lieu of NICS checks, along with the ATF letter to dealers telling them to stop accepting Alabama permits instead of NICS. Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer Marvin Richardson and Acting Assistant Director of Enforcement Programs and Services, Curtis Gilbert who I had highlighted in AmmoLand’s reporting of the ATF’s pistol brace debacle, reviewed and signed both the ATF letter to Alabama, and the letter to Alabama dealers.

GOA is also suing the ATF over a similar action the agency took against Michigan.

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About John Crump

John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.

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Grand Rapids Michigan Gun Turn-in Nets 107 Firearms, runs out of Gift Cards

Image from Grand Rapids Police facebook.com cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- On 24 October 2020, the Grand Rapids Michigan Police Department held a gun turn-in event. Those who turned in guns were paid $50 for black powder guns, $100 for shotguns, rifles, and revolvers, and $200 for “Assault” rifles and semi-automatic pistols. From Grand Rapids Police facebook:

The Gun Buy Back for today was a resounding success. Although it was scheduled until 4:00p, community members came down in force to turn in their unwanted firearms, so the event ended early. 107 firearms were turned in.

The next Gun Buy Back Event is scheduled for Saturday November 7, from 10:00a until 2:00p at 851 Leonard St NW. Thank you to all those that came out to support this event today.

Image from City of Grand Rapids, for the event, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

The laws of the marketplace worked wonderfully.

The picture shows about 30 long guns (about 3,000 dollars worth of cards), 30 mostly antique revolvers, (about 3,000 dollars worth of cards) and about 35 semi-auto handguns, or 7,000 dollars in cards.  That would be about 13,000 dollars worth of gift cards. The semi-auto handguns included a large number that cost less than $200 new. The police ran out of gift cards early, as predicted. There were $15,000 of gift cards allocated for the two events, total.

Most of the long guns were ordinary .22 rifles and various shotguns. If there is a centerfire rifle in the bin, it is not conspicuous. Readers are welcome to point out favorite models they would have been willing to give more than the Grand Rapids government was paying.

On November 7th, they will probably have few gift cards to hand out and will run out even earlier. Perhaps they will be seeking more money for more gift cards in the intervening week.

The coming election may have dampened enthusiasm for turning in guns. The higher than market price for inexpensive semi-automatic pistols may be offset by the extremely high demand for handguns at present.

People who turn in guns at these events tend to fall into three distinct groups.

The most common are people who inherited guns, are not interested in them, do not care to take the time to sell them, and see the gun turn in as an easy way to rid themselves of a perceived problem. Those who plot for a disarmed society do everything they can to further the perception of gun ownership as a problem instead of an asset.

A second group is those who see an opportunity to unload inexpensive firearms for more money than market value. This is especially true of firearms that have problems which are not obvious: missing magazines, unreliable function, sloppy timing on revolvers, hard to find ammunition, among others.

A third group is committed ideologues who hate guns and wish to make a statement. They tend to be a small minority at these events.

It is unknown if any private buyers assisted the police department by privately purchasing good guns to get them off the street and into responsible owners' hands.

There were people coming to the event after the gift cards ran out. They would not be in a mood to take the gun they wanted to get rid of back with them, and would likely be willing to sell it at a discount.

The event was called a gun “buyback”. “Buyback” is an Orwellian propaganda term, because the government cannot buy back what it never owned.

The Michigan legislature took a step toward banning local governments from spending tax money on gun “buybacks” in 2020. From mlive.com:

House Bill 5479, sponsored by Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland, would ban local governments and law enforcement from conducting gun buyback or takeback programs that offer residents compensation for their unwanted firearms. Local law enforcement would still be able to accept and dispose of firearms dropped off voluntarily.

The Michigan Senate has not voted on HB5479, which passed the House on 4 March 2020.

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About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election: An Election Like No Other In History

The Biden-Harris ticket could spell the end of the Second Amendment if elected. IMG NRA-ILA

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have said, repeatedly, that this election is a battle for the soul of the Nation. See, e.g., USAToday story. In all other respects, they are both duplicitous liars, often contradicting themselves, positing the most ludicrous and monstrous of ideas. But they are dead-on right in their assertion that the coming election amounts to a battle for the soul of the Nation. And, if Satan wants our Nation's soul, then Biden and Harris are his agents, intent on obtaining it for him, gladly wresting it kicking and screaming, if necessary, from the Nation's psyche.

At no other point in time, since the opening salvo of muskets marking the commencement of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, a war against the tyranny of King George III, a war that gave birth to the most powerful, most prosperous, and most beneficent Nation on Earth, have we Americans—the beneficiaries of the sacrifices made by those founders of our Nation, the first Patriots, and of the millions of soldiers who have fought and of the many who died to protect and preserve our Nation since—faced our truest test of faith.

Will The Counterrevolution Of 2020 Undo The Successful Revolution Of 1776?

A general election is rapidly approaching to choose a U.S. President. The election of a U.S. President is as much a historical tradition as a Constitutional requirement under the Twelfth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The upcoming election will determine not only which Party controls the critically important Executive Branch of Government, but which will control the all-important U.S. Senate.

This is no ordinary U.S. Presidential election. For this election will determine, once and likely for all subsequent time, whether our Nation continues to exist in the form the framers of our Constitution constructed and intended for it, a free Constitutional Republic where the people themselves are sovereign and where Government exists to serve the people, not the other way around, or whether Americans capitulate to ruthless, jealous forces both here at home and abroad, who have made patently clear their desire and intention to dismantle it.

This isn’t hyperbole notwithstanding that many Americans, those seemingly sensible middle and upper-middle class Americans who define themselves as socially and politically liberal—and who may, or may not, object to the antics of the Radical Marxists and Anarchists who have been rioting and causing general mayhem in our Cities for months on end—think that a Biden/Harris White House and a Democrat-controlled Senate, along with a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, doesn’t portend the end of our Republic, but simply a return to normalcy. But, in that, these ostensibly sensible, pragmatic middle and upper-middle class Americans are dead wrong.

Unbeknownst to these Americans, a war is being waged against the United States. This war has been taking place for decades and it’s a war that is rapidly coming to a head. This war is being fought between two factions.

One faction consists of those Americans who seek to preserve our Nation as handed down to us by the founders of it: an independent sovereign Nation-State and free Constitutional Republic grounded in a formal Constitution, governed by the American people themselves—through their elected representatives. The other faction consists of Counterrevolutionaries: those who are dead-set intent on tearing our free Constitutional Republic down, and constructing an entirely new Order—a true Marxist State—not to be seriously construed as a genuine sovereign, independent nation at all, one that is defined by geographical borders.

The Counterrevolutionaries have in mind an ambitious project. They seek to create an amalgam, comprising the remains of western nation-states, where the governments of these nation-states exist are paper relics, as the real dictates of these nations—these geographical regions, emanate from Brussels. This is apparent from an analysis of the governing authority of the purported nation-states comprising the European Union. The Western titans of industry and finance are the true rulers of this new Order, governing the world through their proxies.

The European Union constitutes the germ of these Counterrevolutionary's grand design. Other western nations are to be brought into the EU’s orbit, including the Commonwealth Nations. But the Counterrevolutionaries real prize, the one they covet most of all, is the United States.

With its technological expertise and vast natural resources, along with its extensive and unparalleled array of military, police, and intelligence apparatuses, the forces that crush intend to bring the United States into their fold.

The Chinese Communist empire has its own designs, ambitions, and objectives for the Nation, and Joe Biden is their “Manchurian” Candidate in a very real sense. China has bought and paid for him and they intend to profit handsomely from him.

Communist China’s aims are primarily geopolitical and military. The aims of the Counterrevolutionary Western titans of industry and finance are, as they essentially have always been—monetary—but they cannot ignore the import of geopolitical and military dominance lest they be run over by China. The formation of an uneasy world Dyarchy appears to be on the horizon for the world.

Of the mass of the commonalty in Europe, the Commonwealth Nations and of the commonality of China, and of Russia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, they are already doomed. It is no accident the poor, impoverished, or outright lazy, would make a mad dash for the United States.

And, what of the citizenry of the United States. At the moment all that stands between them and annihilation, is their fundamental, natural, unalienable, illimitable, and immutable, right of free speech right and right to keep and bear arms—rights bestowed on man by the Divine Creator himself, as etched in stone in the Nation’s Bill of Rights. Both these crucial God-given rights are being whittled away to nothing.

If sleazy, Manchurian Joe and the sordid, horrid Kamala get into Office and if the contemptible, deceitful Chuck Schumer becomes Senate Majority leader, we Americans—who have, to date, seen but a foretaste of erosion of their fundamental, illimitable, immutable, inalienable right of free speech and right to keep and bear arms— will see these rights not only sharply curtailed, but obliterated, extinguished.

An armed citizenry and a citizenry that speaks its own mind cannot long remain in tyranny. Such rights are inconsistent with the objectives of the tenets of Collectivism and cannot be condoned and, so, must not, will not be tolerated. The threat posed to the rulers of the New World Order, and the uniform, exacting order they impose on the commonalty would not be possible. Their New World Order would all come crashing down.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines ‘counterrevolution’ as ‘a revolution whose aim is the deposition and reversal of a political or social system set up by a previous revolution.’ That is precisely what is taking place in our Nation today.

Ruthless, malicious, malevolent, antagonistic forces both inside and outside the United States are responsible for the unrest and violence emanating in our Nation’s Cities today.

These extraordinarily, inordinately powerful, wealthy, devious, malignant forces have orchestrated, bankrolled, fomented, and provoked a Counterrevolution in our Nation. And this Counterrevolution, along with the Chinese Communist Coronavirus plague, is metastasizing across the Nation, encouraged by placid, weak, and favorably disposed politicians; milked by a seditious Press, supportive of, and receptive and responsive to the aims of the Destructors of our Nation

You will note that the definition of ‘counterrevolution’ doesn’t mention or even allude to the use of firearms.

This present war isn’t being fought with guns and cannons—at least not yet—but that is likely to change if the forces that dare crush Americans into submission do take complete control of the reins of Government.

But the absence of the use of firearms at the moment is not to say or to suggest that the present Counterrevolution—the Revolt against the American Revolution—isn’t being waged with weapons. For there exist many kinds of weapons. This Counterrevolution is at the moment being fought with words, conveyed with great effect through the most potent information dissemination engine yet devised by man: The Internet.

The Internet has, just in the space of a few decades, grown into a behemoth. Thousands of Petabytes of data—information—are continually disseminated around the world. It is both a new battlefield and turf to the Counterrevolutionaries that intend to gain control over. But can they? Will they?

It is virtually impossible for one person or one organization to gain complete, exclusive control over the internet But, a few powerful technology companies, true behemoths, have nonetheless, through the space of two or three decades, gained control over broad swaths of it. Their names are known to the public—Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter. The inner workings of these multi-layered Goliaths are tightly guarded, unfathomable, formidable.

These technology goliaths are an empire unto themselves, contained by and constrained by no Nation, their tentacles large and sprawling, entangling the world in their embrace.

The originators of these beasts and their chief executive officers have forged an unholy alliance with Globalist Billionaires in finance and industry both here and around the world and they have entered into pacts with China. They, together, plan to take control over the resources of our Nation, jettisoning the Nation’s institutions, its culture, its traditions, its history, the very Constitutional framework of it—leaving the Nation a dry, barren husk, an empty shell; its people subjugated, thoroughly demoralized, wholly or primarily dependent on Government largess, reduced to abject penury and servitude.

And therethrough they are being assisted with the help of a massive Fifth Column in our Nation—comprising Democrats and Bush-centric Republicans in Congress; a massive federal Bureaucracy, the Administrative Deep State; rabid, radical Marxist and Anarchist groups, and the Marxist intelligentsia; and a compliant, obsequious, sympathetic Press.

With unimaginable wealth and tenacity, the forces that seek to crush our Nation and its people into submission can succeed, and they intend to succeed, and they will succeed if they take control of the Executive Branch of Government along with the U.S. Senate.

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About The Arbalest Quarrel:

Arbalest Group created `The Arbalest Quarrel' website for a special purpose. That purpose is to educate the American public about recent Federal and State firearms control legislation. No other website, to our knowledge, provides as deep an analysis or as thorough an analysis. Arbalest Group offers this information free.

For more information, visit: www.arbalestquarrel.com.

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Michigan: Judge Strikes Down Open Carry Ban At Polls

Michigan strikes down Election Day open carry ban. IMG NRA-ILA

U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Last Tuesday, Judge Christopher Murray of the Michigan Court of Claims struck down the guidance prohibiting the open carry of firearms at polling places on election day that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson previously issued on October 16^th. Judge Murray cited the fact that Secretary Benson did not follow the proper procedure required under the state’s Administrative Procedures Act in making this directive, which goes beyond state law.

Secretary Benson announced that she will appeal the ruling. NRA applauds Judge Murray for upholding state law, and ensuring that the administration cannot rush this action through without following the procedures required under state law.

Please check www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on Second Amendment issues in Michigan.

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About NRA-ILA:

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org

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Montana You Need to Vote to Keep Steve Daines in the U.S. Senate ~ VIDEO

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)-Steve Daines is the junior United States Senator for Montana. He is running for reelection against Governor Steve Bullock in a close race.

Steve Daines grew up in Bozeman Montana and attended Montana State University. He is a visionary. In 2000, he served as Vice President of a cloud computing company before cloud computing became a household term. Although he had success in private industry, he never lost his love for Montana. He decided to serve in the U.S Senate to give back to his home state.

Steve Daines is a defender of gun rights. He opposed Fix NICS and have fought to protect the Second Amendment rights of Americans. Gun Owners of America has endorsed Daines for Senate. The gun-rights organization believes this race is critical to stop the Senate from falling into the hands of anti-gun politicians.

Re-Elect Senator Steve Daines to U.S. Senate

I had a chance to speak with Senator Daines about guns and his reelection campaign.

John: Why did you decide to go into public office?

Senator Daines: It’s simple: I’m running for More Jobs and Less Government. I spent 28 years in the private sector building businesses and creating jobs, and I know it takes to create better-paying jobs and opportunities for Montanans. I’m also running to protect our way of life that is under assault by the radical left who want to implement a socialist agenda and rip away our Second Amendment Rights.

John: Montana Governor Steve Bullock is challenging you for your Senate seat. What can you offer the people of your state that Bullock cannot?

Senator Daines: I’m running to serve Montanans and to protect our Montana Way of Life. Steve Bullock is running to serve Chuck Schumer- Schumer personally flew to Montana to successfully recruit Bullock into the race. Bullock will just be one more vote for Chuck Schumer’s radical liberal agenda that threatens our freedoms and liberties.

John: Montana has a big oil industry as well as a big mining industry. Vice President Biden wants to eliminate both which would crush Montana’s economy. Bullock is a Biden supporter. Will you pledge to fight against the devastating energy policies of the Democrats?

Senator Daines: Absolutely – what we’ve heard from Joe Biden is chilling, what he said would destroy thousands of jobs alone right here in Montana. And also deeply concerning is the fact that when my liberal opponent, Steve Bullock, ran for president, he came out in support of a job-killing carbon tax that would threaten 35,000 good-paying Montana jobs and opposed the Keystone XL Pipeline. I will always stand strong and fight back against any attempt to harm our economy and our Montana jobs.

John: What do you think about all the civil unrest going on in the Country?

Senator Daines: The violence and looting, and the villainizing of our police officers is unacceptable and should be condemned by every single American. The rioting we’ve seen from the Liberal Mob, and the radical calls to defund the police is outrageous and I’m proud to always stand with our men and women in law enforcement.

Senator Daines Supports our brave Law Enforcement

Senator Daines Supports our brave Law Enforcement

John: If you win, what will be your number one goal in your next term?

Senator Daines: We must absolutely protect our Second Amendment Rights from the liberals back in Washington who want nothing more than to take away our right to bear arms. Our freedoms are under attack. I will stand strong with gun owners across this nation to protect our constitutional rights.

John: Now onto guns. You are endorsed by Gun Owners of America, so we know you are pro-gun. I want to dig deeper into your stances and how you will help expand gun rights.

Will you compromise away our rights like so many other Republicans have done in the past?

Senator Daines: Absolutely not – I have a proven record and that will never change. I will never compromise on fighting to protect and defend our Second Amendment Rights. The Constitution is clear: “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

John: Will you pledge to support national reciprocity?

Senator Daines: Absolutely, and I have already co-sponsored legislation to do just that – the Constitution Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

Senator Daines respects and enjoys our Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Senator Daines respects and enjoys our Right to Keep and Bear Arms

John: What steps can be taken to dismantle the NFA?

Senator Daines: I'll always be supportive of efforts like the Hearing Protection Act which would begin to roll back some of the onerous regulations prescribed under the National Firearm Act.

John: Why is the Second Amendment important to you?

Senator Daines: The Second Amendment is important to me because it’s about protecting our constitutional rights and our way of life. It represents who we are as Americans and Montanans– but unfortunately, our Second Amendment is under attack from the radical left including my opponent, Steve Bullock. I will never stop fighting to protect our Second Amendment Rights.

Senator Steve Daines and President Trump

John: How can people help you win?

Senator Daines: We need all the help we can get right now – we are being significantly outraised and this race is in a dead heat, please visit www.helpdaines.com to chip in any amount that you can give to help us right now.

We would be grateful for any support. The left is organized and incredibly well-funded, and we have to fight back together if we want to win this. We must get this done for Montana and America.

Steve Daines has an A+ rating from the NRA and an A rating from GOA.  His opponent,  Steve Bullock, has an F rating from the NRA and an F-from GOA respectively. 

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About John Crump

John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. John has written about firearms, interviewed people from all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.

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Did NJ Gov. Murphys’ Invitations to Pro-Freedom Groups Get Lost in the Mail?

Opinion

Did NJ Gov. Murphys' Invitations to Pro-Freedom Groups Get Lost in the Mail?

New Jersey – -(AmmoLand.com)- “Gun violence” is a very serious topic that needs actual contemplation and thought. To be fair, calling gun violence – “gun violence” is not very accurate. Before we can even dive into the subject, we must label it appropriately.

For example, there are instances of “gang violence” or “gangland violence” – which would be violence committed by gangs or gang members. How about “domestic violence”? That would be violence committed by a domestic partner. Community violence? Violence committed by community members, specifically those not acquainted with another. Gun violence then must be violence committed by a gun? Case closed.

Gun violence is a misnomer. Violence that is committed with a gun is something that happens. But no gun is inherently violent.

A gun cannot commit anything, it is an inanimate object, a tool. If a gang member shoots another gang member or an innocent bystander for that matter, it is gang violence – not gun violence. If a man shoots his wife, is that domestic violence? Yes, not “gun violence.” The actor is never the gun.

These optics are very important, and intentional, as they paint a picture in all of our subconscious minds; the correlation that when someone hears the word gun, they immediately think “violence.”

The subject of violence in any form is complex. Never mind the specifics of violence committed with a firearm. Carol Bowne, a New Jersey woman who was stabbed to death by a former intimate partner, is no less dead today because she was murdered with a knife. Knife violence? The sad and telling story of Carol is that she was seeking to purchase a firearm and applied for her purchaser’s permit with her local police department in the town she lived in. She pleaded with the police, had a protective order against her aggressor, sought protective help from the police, and when no one helped her – decided she needed to be armed. By law in New Jersey, a town is supposed to issue such purchaser’s permits within 30 days. Carol was murdered 42 days after applying for the permit she was never issued.

She died alone, as a knife repeatedly pulled the life out of her, helpless, and disarmed.

I chronicled this tragic event in my March 28, 2018 article “Do you Know Carol Bowne? An Open Letter to the Assembly of New Jersey, et.al.” Why did I write that article (which I emailed the text of to every member of the Assembly and Senate in New Jersey back then)? Because on March 25, 2018, it was announced in an NJ.com article that the Assembly was scheduled to vote the following week on a package of anti-civil rights, aka “gun control”, bills. It should be obvious, I was and am against the bills that were voted on, subsequently were passed, and signed into law. Besides testifying at hearings, the only recourse citizens have in such situations are to write to and or call their legislators/executives to make their opinions known.

Unless you are one of the lucky ones to be invited to the many planning meetings held by legislators on these subjects…

Through documents AmmoLand obtained through OPRA Request W163771 I learned there were 13 known “special” meetings from February 13, 2018 to March 13, 2020. These meetings varied in “title”, switching names from “Roundtables” to “Town Hall Meetings” to “Exciting Announcements”, so on and so forth (the full list of which I will include at the end of this article). What was special about some of these meetings? Eight of the 13 meetings specifically mention firearms. All of these meetings had notices communicated to members of anti-civil rights groups looking to strip citizens of their 2nd Amendment freedoms.

One such lucky correspondent was The Reverend Robert “Bob” Moore (cfpa@peacecoalition.org), from The Coalition For Peace Action (CFPA, peacecoalition.org) and Ceasefire New Jersey (https://ift.tt/3e9wJPg) . The first such recorded meeting was a roundtable on “gun violence.” Scheduled to be in attendance was NJ Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald. Both CFPA and Ceasefire New Jersey are groups against the individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Dolores Phillips, the Legislative Director of Ceasefire New Jersey was copied into Bob’s email to Hilary Beckett (Then an Aide to the Governor, Intergovernmental Affairs, hilary.beckett@nj.gov), when accepting his invitation to attend the February 13, 2018 meeting.

Who else was at that meeting? It is hard to tell specifically, but looking at the track record of Phil Murphy’s administration, we can assume that members of Moms Demand Action and Everytown could have been there, as they have received invites to and or advanced notice of similar discussions (see OPRA W160618 obtained email from Paul Crupi, paul@cignj.com, The Vice President of Public Affairs at the Capital Impact Group, the lobbyist firm used by Moms Demand Action/Everytown, to Justin Braz, Murphy’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs).

Paul Crupi, the MDA lobbyist firm to Justin Braz, Murphy’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs OPRA W160618

I can tell you who was not invited to this meeting…

I reached out to several civil-rights oriented organizations that safeguard the Second Amendment: The Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, The Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners, The New Jersey Second Amendment Society, A representative of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, and The National Shooting Sports Foundation. I sent them the full list of dates and events*** as listed at the end of this article and asked them if they were invited to participate in any of these “discussions” that Governor Phil Murphy’s administration had concerning firearms, “gun violence”, gun safety, etc.

Scott Bach, the Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) had the following to say about my question concerning possible invites from Murphy:

“Neither ANJRPC nor its representatives have ever been invited to any firearms related event or announcement of the Murphy Administration, nor have we been informed in advance that they were occurring. These events have been styled as if they were inclusive, but in fact no representative of any Second Amendment organization have been included to our knowledge.”

The President of the Coalition of New Jersey Firearm Owners (CNJFO), Dan Grdovic, when asked, stated:

“CNJFO has never been invited to or has been asked for input on any roundtable, town hall meetings, pending legislation, or summits held by the Governor's Office or anyone else in the Legislature with regard to Second Amendment or Gun Safety issues. Ironically, our mission statement states in part that ‘CNJFO was founded to advocate for lawful, safe and responsible firearms ownership in New Jersey.' New Jersey's gun laws are designed to only hamper lawful firearms ownership in New Jersey. The existing laws are not followed by violent criminals within the state, and the judicial scheme regularly drops any and all firearms related charges against the most violent criminals, while simultaneously pursuing lynching of otherwise law abiding citizens (See the following cases: Van Gilder, Allen, Twyne). CNJFO would be proud to sit in on any such gathering and provide our members' views to the Executive or Legislative Branches for their consideration.”

“It's time for the Governor to acknowledge his ‘echo chamber' past and invite his opponents to the table for meaningful discussion that includes opposition.”

New Jersey Second Amendment Society (NJ2AS) President, Alexander Rubian said;

“We were not invited to a single one of those events. You can bet we would be there.”

Mark Oliva, the National Sport Shooting Foundation’s (NSSF) Director of Public Affairs quipped back referencing many of the initiatives that NSSF champions such as Project ChildSafe® and Real Solutions®. Both programs advocate for the responsible and safe ownership and storage of firearms. Mark had these comments:

“NSSF was not invited by the governor to attend any of these meetings or roundtable events. Governor Murphy hasn’t reached out to the firearm industry to seek advice or offer opinions on what can be done to achieve true firearm safety. The governor instead has chosen to be openly hostile to the firearm industry, firearm retailers and gun owners. He’s taken every opportunity to deny the ability exercise Second Amendment rights, including unlawfully closing firearm retailers during a national emergency. He only reversed course when faced with court action… Other governors have sought to include the industry in these effective programs, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott. NSSF is willing to sit down at the table with anyone who is serious about achieving real solutions and preserving gun rights. Sadly, we have only seen Governor Murphy attack the industry, hunting and lawful gun ownership while ignoring those criminals who are responsible for committing crimes.”

Finally, I reached out to a representative of The National Rifle Association.

“Gov. Murphy has incredible disdain for law-abiding gun owners, and he campaigned on gun control in a state that has some of the harshest gun laws in the country,” said Darin Goens NRA-ILA State Director. He continued:

“Second Amendment supporters were never invited to participate in any of these events because they are not interested in a dialogue. The heavy-handed Governor and his minions simply recycled the same old failed gun control schemes in an echo chamber. They are not interested in ‘gun safety,’ they want gun bans, and they are not bashful about it.”

It’s a fact that the anti-rights, anti-freedom, “anti-gun” crowd receives preferential treatment (explored in“Evidence, Preferential Treatment The Anti-Freedom Lobby Receives From NJ Gov. Murphy”), and those that advocate for responsible & law-abiding gun owners, and Second Amendment civil-liberties get kicked to the curb.

Dolores Phillips is seen receiving a commemorative pen from NJ Governor Murphy used to strip New Jersey citizens of their rights. Dolores, I hope you cherish that pen, it has the blood of Carole Bowne and many other innocent people on it. https://ift.tt/2Gbg29u

At the June 13, 2018, anti-freedom bill signing event, bringing the bills discussed in the March 2018 announcement into law, Ceasefire New Jersey, Bob Moore, et.al. took every chance to pose with Governor Murphy for photo opportunities commemorating it. Dolores Phillips is seen receiving a commemorative pen from Murphy used to strip New Jersey citizens of their rights.

Dolores, I hope you cherish that pen, it has the blood of Carole Bowne and many other innocent people on it – asA-2758 was signed with it, a bill making the already impossible harder…for those needing protection, to get a carry permit.   Dolores, do you think Carole Bowne would still be alive today if she had a firearm with her the night she was violently stabbed to death in a tragic act of knife violence?.

The entire process of these bills becoming law was nicely recorded in a self-produced “Atta Boy” slideshow video that Ceasefire New Jersey has posted online. Take a look at the video as it walks us, the uninitiated, through the process they went through to strip New Jersey citizens of civil rights. They boast about their first meeting on December 20th (2017) occurring and how they “co-led a 12 person delegation of gun violence prevention leaders from across the state, with NJ State Senator Majority Leader Senator Loretta ‘Conficscate-Confiscate-Confiscate' Weinberg…”

Where was ANJRPC? Where was the invite to CNJFO? How about NJ2AS – was your invitation lost in the mail? NRA? Notification MIA! NSSF did not get the MEMO. No one was invited to speak from the groups that are guardians of citizens’ rights.

Take note, in December 2017 the anti-gunners came to the New Jersey Government pushing to take away civil liberties, and by June 2018, all the proposals were signed into law. Six months.

Many in the legislative body of New Jersey have zero fondness towards citizens retaining, having, and or regaining any of their Second Amendment Rights. Phil Murphy openly expresses his contempt towards law-abiding gun owners, and freedom – illustrated further when he quipped the “Bill of Rights is above my pay grade”.

With Democrats in power, the system is stacked against average citizens, and there is a conspiracy of RICO proportions within the Murphy Administration, and even further within the New Jersey Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches dating back to the 60’s and 70’s. New Jersey’s ruling class, simply put, wants its citizens disarmed. If that is not abundantly clear based on the laws passed and the way law-abiding gun owners are treated or just flat out ignored. It is clear by the simple fact that we have zero representation, no invitations, and no advance notice to any of these important discussions regarding civil liberties – but gun-banner Reverend Bob Moore and his cronies do…

Enjoy your blood-soaked pen Dolores, after all the pen is mightier than the sword!

***List of Advanced Notice Meetings from February 13, 2018, to March 13, 2020:

• “Gun Violence Roundtable” Tuesday, February 13, 2018.
• “Exciting Announcement” on Friday, April 6, 2018, on “gun safety.”
• “Town Hall Meeting” May 2, 2018.
• “Gun Safety Package Signing” on June 13, 2018.
• “Progress Together Meeting” January 23, 2019.
  “Gun Violence Roundtable” Tuesday, February 26, 2019, with “Governor, Cabinet, Legislators, & Community Leaders focused on NJ Leadership in community violence intervention programs.”
• “Gun Violence Prevention Roundtable” May 28, 2019. Event co-hosted by Brady Campaign.
• “Town Hall Meeting” June 18, 2019 – which was postponed.
• “Announcement on Gun Safety” September 10, 2019.
• “Town Hall Meeting” September 25, 2019.
• “Gun Violence Intervention” invite, with Gabby Giffords. January 29, 2020.
• “Progress Together Meeting” February 19, 2020.
• “States For Gun Safety Summit” March 13, 2020.

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About John Petrolino

John Petrolino is a US Merchant Marine Officer, writer, author of Decoding Firearms: An Easy to Read Guide on General Gun Safety & Use and NRA certified pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructor living under and working to change New Jersey's draconian and unconstitutional gun laws. You can find him on the web at www.johnpetrolino.com on twitter at @johnpetrolino and on instagram @jpetrolinoiii .

John Petrolino

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