Media Happily Lends Republicans Its Megaphone to Sell Out Gun Owners

Why would any gun owner who cares about the right to keep and bear arms stand with preemptive surrender infringements that will only put Democrats one step closer to their goal of confiscation? (Marco Rubio/Facebook)

U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “A red flag law will reduce bloodshed and respect the rights of gun owners,” Florida “Republican” Senator Marco Rubio disingenuously promises in a Thursday promo piece for universal harassment of the “law-abiding,” happily hosted by The New York Times.

“The laws do not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Rubio lies.

Sure they will. American citizens will have their guns taken away without being convicted of anything or diagnosed beyond any reasonable doubt as a danger to themselves and others. And if it turns out they really are dangerous, they’ll still be out there posing a threat to themselves and others.

But Rubio’s getting cover from “red flag” supporters like fellow “Do Something” Republicans and supposedly “staunch Second Amendment supporters” Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn. He’s also getting it from so-called “conservative” influencers like Heritage Foundation and National Review, and, disappointingly, from the National Rifle Association itself, all repeating the “due process” mantra. The fix, it would seem, is in for “Take the guns first, due process second” President Trump to sign a “bipartisan compromise” and get away with it.

Even the “libertarian think tank” Independence Institute’s resident research director, attorney David Kopel, is defending “kinder, gentler” ERPOs, Denver’s Westwood tells us. The presumption is they will pass “legal” muster (and with the composition of the courts today, that’s a given), if not alleviate our due process concerns.

“Senator Graham’s proposal was to provide funding for states that adopt red flag rules,” Kopel explains of his role in advising the effort co-led by avowed Democrat gun-grabber Sen. Richard Blumenthal. “My point of view is that the funding should encourage best practices and not subsidize the worst.”

Some might substitute “infringements” for “practices,” but let’s hear the man out. What might “best” confiscations look like?

“I think anybody should be able to express their concerns to law enforcement officers. But it should be law enforcement officers only who should initiate a petition,” Kopel advises. That and he recommends a “middle ground,” where no ex parte orders can be issued without the person being disarmed present to defend himself. That is unless the petitioner can present “good reason” why that would be dangerous.

What kind of “good reason”?

“Nancy VanDeMark, then the interim president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, argued that letting suicidal individuals know in advance that their firearms might be confiscated can actually trigger tragedy,” the Westwood article notes.

Does Nancy not think they’re going to have a meltdown when SWAT shows up to take the guns by surprise? If someone is demonstrably suicidal, it’s inhumane to do anything other than take them in for observation and necessary treatment.  And ditto, if they have engaged in behavior threatening others, that too is actionable.

We’ve seen time and again, anyone who can’t be trusted with a gun can’t be trusted without a custodian. If you take the guns but leave the threat, what makes anyone think they can’t get other guns (just look at your average weekend in Chicago), or use something else to do in themselves or someone else?

On top of that, once you’re demanding a burden of proof necessary to take in and hold a human being, there’s now a vested interest throughout all of society, rather than just an increasingly marginalized, disfavored subset of “gun extremists” that some in power are equating with terrorists. Expect the ACLU, at that point, to get vigorous about giving a damn.

Besides, to trust that what Republicans give up today will define the extent of infringements tomorrow is not only foolish, it is a denial of reality and what has happened before — every time concessions are made. What more do the Democrats need to do to show us when it comes to guns, they want it all but they’ll take what they can get today. Give it to them and they’ll be back tomorrow demanding more, and accusing anyone who balks of being an extremist who refuses to “compromise” on “commonsense gun safety.”

It’s like, in lieu of repelling them, throwing a scrap of flesh to a circling pack of jackals and thinking that will make them go away satisfied. You know, instead of taking that as a sign of weakness and an invitation to move in closer…

So Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham are going to put limitations on how the states can administer federally-funded “red flag” programs? See how long that lasts if the Democrats take it all in 2020, as remains a distinct possibility thanks to GOP fecklessness and betrayals. What will they do if a state that has its funds withheld sues and an activist federal judge sides with them? Anyone who tells you either of these likelihoods can’t or won’t happen is a liar. And the perverse “win” for Republicans is they’ll get plausible deniability that should work on the ill-informed, meaning everyone who relies on the DSM for “news”:

“Hey, that’s not what we voted for. The Democrats did it.”

We should see what “the plan” is when the White House announces its “gun control” agenda later this week. In the meantime, just to soften everybody up and show us how “reasonable” such edicts are, we get a low-hanging fruit story about a New York man who “will give up his firearms in the first case to be resolved through New York’s ‘red flag’ law, which took effect last month.”

Whew! No tragedy. The guy didn’t oppose the complaint.  The cop who made it was commended. All’s well that ends well. See? We told you. There’s no need for all this paranoid alarmism!

Except those guns will be gone for longer than the year the story says the law allows if that felony charge sticks. And come on, the guy is allegedly out there firing his pistol into a neighbor’s car and then threatening suicide?

Of course circumstances like that warrant taking in more than just the guns and extending more than “Due Process Lite.”


About David Codrea: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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Green Mtn. Boy

Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham,the very definition of worthless RINO’s !

tetejaun

We ALL knew Rubio was a traitor when he got in bed with rat-face Schumer.

Rock

Zackley !

willyd

TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!

Henry Bowman

“Elect us to office, so we can do X,Y,Z, and then tell you why we just cant do that, and why we have to do the opposite, but if you DONT elect us, the Democrats will do everything we are doing, just worse!”…Fuck you Marco, you lying shitbad.

Will Flatt

I care not what paper traitors sign. RKBA predates our nation and as such, it is outside their authority to infringe. If I must die in a massive pile of empty brass to stay free, so be it; it is better than to live in servitude and tyranny.

Deplorable Bill

Traitor, turncoat. I am truly saddened at anyone who would disavow their oath of office to score some political points/insurance. Arm up, carry on.

Dakota Patriot

More money to the states to do the bidding of Traitors. OUR MONEY!

SoSueMe

There is no longer any leadership in the defense of the 2nd Amendment. The republicans are worthless. The N.R.A. is now the National Dress Wayne LaPierre in Style Association. I guess it’s up to us individuals. Lock-n-Load!

Knute

There’s still SAF, GOA, JFPO, CCRKBA, and many more doing good work. NRA might be all you hear about from the MSM, but there are lots of other games in town besides the NRA.

JPM

Sorry, but the Republicans are not much better than the Democrats and have proved it even more so after Trump was elected. They are both but two sides of the same anti-Constitutional rotten politician coin. John Adams said, “There is nothing I dread so much as a division of the Republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution.” In George Washington’s farewell address he not only agrees with John Adams, but further elaborates… Read more »

BowserB

Washington and Eisenhower gave the best and most prophetic farewell addresses of any U.S. presidents.

Stripeseven

Enemies of Freedom and Liberty. Sickening…

tetejaun

During the pathetic 8 years we called the Obama Administration, Gay Rat Obama and his cadre of anti-American communist democrats (virtually ALL still in government) called veterans, gun enthusiasts and competition shooters, gun collectors and Constitutionalists “Domestic Terrorists”.
If unconstitutional Red Flag laws come to your city or state, it will be the Revolutionary War again.
EVERYONE you know and talk to will be suspect of turning you in for money.

BowserB

Hardly anyone I know, and NONE of my neighbors, are aware that I own a gun, much less several. However, my neighbors who own guns virtually advertise and brag about their guns.

Wild Bill

@Bowser, Good opsec.

MICHAEL J

These politicians are interested in catering to those who they believe will secure them another term. Lifetime career politicians are a threat to a free republic because they will continue to compromise their oath of office to stay in office.

tomcat

Rubio is following his roots, Cuban peasant. He has no business in the congress of the most powerful country in the world. He could go to little Cuba in Fla. and sponge off them for a while.

Wild Bill

@USA, You were there? Concertina wire. Wasn’t he born here?

Wild Bill

@USA, He can not be deported, but he can be departed.

Klim

His hands are too little for cuffs to work. Gotta just put one around his neck and the other around the neck of a south bound pelican. Let nature do the work for ya.

BowserB

Thank you, WB. We do need to use only facts, else we’re no better than the socialists. And it is called concertina wire, and the name applies to both the earlier barbed wire and more contemporary razor wire. And of course, Rubio was born in Miami.

Wild Bill

@Bowser, Yes, its proper nomenclature is concertina wire. Another commenter, supra, wrote, “… and Constantine wire…” I merely helped with his spelling.
I have put lots of it out, and picked lots of concertina wire up. You bounce it.

joefoam

Marco and all the supporters of ‘red flag’ bills are obviously not gun owners and have nothing to lose. That is the only explanation I can come up with.

wolfzatDawn

If the GOP now wants to limit the Bill of Rights and we all know how the socialist dummycrates, supported by the presstitutes envision a gun less, gutless, police state and the NRA never more incompetent then now, why don’t all 150 million gun owners create a brand new political party, The @nd Amend Party, and elect our own politicians. With a backing of 150 million voters we would take the entire prize in one cycle! We could not do any worse then are current 2 psrty system has done and recharge and re-release a NEW America that won’t take… Read more »

Dennis

I was hoping before the 2020 election someone would have done that by now! we really do need a conservative party it’s like we have two demoncraps party. It’ really hard telling them apart! Maybe Trump won’t do anything against the 2A now but what if he gets reelected! I really don’t trust him!

BowserB

I think the problem is that 2/3 of the gun owners in this country just don’t believe their guns are at risk. I know lifelong hunters who are also lifelong Democrats. They absolutely don’t connect what the Democrats say to their deer rifles or semiauto shotguns. “They’re not after my Model 700. They just want the AR15’s and those Russian AK’s.” Yes, and after they get the AR and AK platform rifles, they’ll realize that your 300 WinMag is way more powerful and you’ll have to turn ’em in. “The little 38 caliber revolver I keep in the kitchen drawer… Read more »

DLTF

Hi. I’m up in in Alberta where I haven’t seen a gun in 30 years. Practically no one owns one anymore. We are defenseless.
Aren’t guns property? Won’t these Red Flag laws be a form of property theft? Is there more involved here than the removal of the 2nd amendment?

Tionico

The trouble with red flag laws is twofold: First ,there are TWO main people involved, the reporter and the Target. IF Due Process is to be preserved, the reporter MUST be clearly idendified, named in the warrant. The accused will certainly be known. Target is then detained by LE, and his struggle begins. BEFORE any personal property can be touched, and WHILE the Target is in protective custody, the Target MUST have opportunity to examine his accuser before a court of law. The statements of fact supporting the warrant to detain MUST be included in the warrant’s supporting documents.. in… Read more »

BowserB

And the problem from OUR side is that none of the proposed red flag laws provide for Due Process as required by the constitution. Another problem is that there won’t be a single federal red flag law. The federal government will just provide grants to states that formulate their own red flag laws. That means that organizations like the 2nd Amendment Foundation, who challenge these laws and force them through the courts, will have not one law to challenge, but as many as 50 laws (no not 58, Mr. Obama) to fight–and they won’t have the resources to do that.… Read more »

Mark 2nd

Again, I repeat: We are not going to vote ourselves out of this communist rot that is consuming our nation. This is going to come down to a real war. Either that or we disarm, lick the jackboots of our fascist/communist masters and accept slavery, deprivation and starvation as the norm. I would rather die with my gun in my hand knowing I didn’t give my enemies a free ride. The fascist/communists will never stop trying to subjugate us, so we should never stop fighting for our freedom. This is the endgame. We stop these insane bastards here or the… Read more »

Wild Bill

@2nd, Do you feel better, now?! Everything is going our way. An election is coming up, so for the time being, we have a little more juice than usual. I predict, we drain the legislative part of the swamp (dnc looses big time). Trump is draining the judicial part of the swamp by filling up the fed courts with judges that believe in the Constitution (180 so far and more than any other president ever). And I hope and pray for Coomey, Brennan, Clapper, Strzck, Page, McCabe, Clinton et. al. criminal trials on the horizon. Which drains the bureaucratic part… Read more »

Mark 2nd

Wild Bill, this may be a bump in the road for the commies but they’ve been chipping away at the Constitution since the early 1930’s. They will not stop. I don’t want a war but the writing is on the wall. History has proven time after time that humans NEVER cease to repeat it. By and large, humans have short attention spans, short memories, short tempers and are short on intellect. Not everyone of course, but enough to cause humanity as a whole to repeat the same mistakes over and over. I fervently hope this respite you’ve alluded to comes… Read more »

BowserB

The communist mantra forever has been “one step back…two steps forward.” You can’t defeat socialism with one election. Every gun owner needs to vote in every election at every level. And no matter what they say, you cannot vote for a Democrat. Once in office, they’re all just part of the machine.

Klim

Sadly, 2nd you may be right. Trump showed his hand with bump stocks. Even if he prevails in ’20 he’ll have zero accountability, a blank check for the next four yrs. Or longer if his twisted dick tater fantasies come to fruition. How long will it take him to throw us all under the bus? At that point we’d be the biggest obstacle standing in the way of his dreams of a gilded trump tower in saudia Arabia, non stop re runs of the apprentice on every single channel and Wayne LaPierre wearing a tunic feeding him pealed grapes and… Read more »

Dennis

You’re scaring me! Because you’re reading my mind! I’m not the only crazy one!

BowserB

Just because you’re crazy, Dennis, that doesn’t mean you can’t also be right!

Knute

“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

Wild Bill

@Klim, What did Trump do with bump stocks?

Klim

He signed the bill to ban those pesky things.
December 2018. Acting AG Matthew Whitaker signed it into law while wheathering out the legal challenges concerning the constitutionality of his appointment. Imagine that.
Wayne lapew and company put up a predictably feeble fight.

Wild Bill

@Klim, No, Trump did not sign any bill. The issue was sent to BATFE, who acted ultra vires, by changing the definition of machine gun to include bump stocks.
There has been no Congressional action on bump stocks, no bill, no president’s signature.
BATFE’s action is before the federal courts.

BowserB

Wild Bill, please keep your eye on the ball. The redcoats are coming. It’s 8 hours since you asked, but if you still haven’t looked it up, he used executive order to essentially ban bump stocks by putting them into the same category as machine guns. With the stroke of his pen he turned thousands of Americans into felons.

Klim

Bingo bowser. And in doing so opened up the proverbial door for all idiots that follow to do precisely the same thing only worse for sure. Now the cheeto in chief is mulling a ban on flavored e cigarettes to make them less desirable to the precious little ones. Not in your job description there copper top. I’ll parent my kids you just keep focused on important stuff like your tweet battle with John legend and chrissy teagan. Keep those savages at bay so we can fight the real war out here in flyover country. It’s not the grape flavor… Read more »

Wild Bill

@Boswer, What is the number of the alleged executive order?

RoyD

You are correct Will. This was written long ago, and yet.

Hosea 4:6 English Standard Version (ESV)

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge….

Klim

Well shoots fellers we mus be looking at different interwebs. My little interweb gitten gizmo can’t find anything out there that’s a telling me them thangs is still legal. Fact is its telling my theys already folks been charged for still havin em. Can we get a quarom on this here? Cuz if they still legal I’m a go dig mine back up. Just gotta remember where I buried em at. Was it under the cabbage or the rutabaga? The misses ain’t gonna be happy when she sees the garden.

Wild Bill

@Klim, We did not say that bump stocks were legal or illegal. We wrote that ” … There has been no Congressional action on bump stocks, no bill, no president’s signature.” So let’s not be blaming the president, yet.

The status of bump stocks is in dispute. BATFE went beyond their authority to change a definition that Congress made. That is why the issue is in the federal court system.

There has been no Congressional action to outlaw bump stocks. No bill or executive order signed by the president. Let’s just not get ahead of ourselves.

Klim

Copy that wild, thanks. A lot of so called experts out there spreading a lot of misinformation. I ignore most of it. Appreciate you clarifying that for me.

Wild Bill

@Bowser, Sorry, ranch work got in the way. The president still has not signed any Executive Order, Presidential Directive or bill from Congress.
BATFE’s definition changing action (making bump stocks into machine guns) is still in the fed court system.

Wild Bill

@wjd, Wow, that is unusual, and … fast, too!

DLTF

I suspect you’re right. Governments are crime syndicates. Voting for a person in government will continue to get us the same results.
Up in in Alberta, we’re talking about separation from Canada. It won’t happen through voting for the government.
It might be time to think about something new?

Bob Sadtler

How STUPID are these people??? 1. So, the feral, ahem, federal G wants to give tax-payer money to states that enact half-assed schemes which FAIL to protect due process, penalize malicious accusations, or require evaluation/supervision. How about we WITHHOLD federal money, and ONLY give money to states that DO all the above? 2. This “suicide prevention” nonsense is the worst of all! Ok, how’s this: We have a person in crisis. He’s going to kill HIMSELF. Let’s kick in his door and steal his property under cover of authority. Now that he is terminally PISSED OFF, he will decide to… Read more »

KenW

Well we here in Florida have our “red flag” law mainly because of the Parkland shooting. And no the NRA did not support it either. Our so-called pro-gun Republican legislatures let it out of committee, and then they voted for it, all with the blessing of our so-called pro-gun AG & Governor now Senator. To there credit there was no assault weapons ban, but now there is group trying to get an assault weapons ban on the ballot I’ve read the Florida ERPO and based on face value seems reasonable. Yes I know reasonable could mean anything. But after seeing… Read more »

Dr. Strangelove

The Ministry of Future Crime. What could go wrong?

Gopher wacker

Little Marco. Miami politician. Has he ever voted for restoration of our rights?

BowserB

That’s Comrade Rubio, if you don’t mind!

Operator Z

TERM LIMITS!

willyd

GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!

SoSueMe

VOTE! (there’s your term limits)

Sapper04

LOL=agree wholeheartedly!

Gopher wacker

Love it.

Tionico

wont fix a thing until THE VOTERS wake up and give a rat’s behind about who represents them. There is no end of scumbags running for office (case in point: the “field” now standing for the office of president) When VOTERS wake up the scumbags won’t get in for the first term. HOW in the world did those four in the “squad” climb over the wall and get elected as representatives of the people? ALL of em should be in the pokey. THen there’s Babs, Pugliugly, DieFie, and the list goes on. And how long did we suffer under the… Read more »

Alex

Im pretty sure this guy has been all over red flag laws since parkland. This doesn’t surprise me

Dennis

I may have put a bull’s-eye on myself I just went to rubios FB page and reminded him he wasn’t in cuba anymore! Put a gif of someone waving a red communist flag! And #libsandrinosarevil! and also that I won’t vote for him again! I hope he can take a joke.(not)

AnotherLEO

That is very disappointing… I thought Rubio was a decent guy. I thought he actually had a spine and possibly a triple digit IQ. Anyone find it funny that these professional politicians claim to know how best to address crime?? Not one of them has an ounce of Law Enforcement experience. I have yet to see a SINGLE legitimate Law Enforcement Officer state that they have ANY confidence that red flag laws or gun confiscation would curtail any of these issues. How long has the “war on drugs” been raging?! It was so ineffective and so many people had continuous… Read more »

PJ

This guy is a waste, he lied to get into office and he is totally for sale, I pray that a true constitutional patriot can stand up to him next election and we no longer have to deal with this guy. He ran a TEA party person but is big time DEEP State guy. If he was the true person he claims to be he would know the Constitution but I don’t he has even read the thing. Hey Mark like one of your DEEP State guys said Never let a tragedy go without exploiting it to remove more of… Read more »

Alan1018

If these clowns really wanted to do something about violent crime they would be pushing a law that requires a minimum 10 year sentence for having a gun during a crime, 20 years for brandishing it, 30 years for firing it, and life if someone is injured (including pistol whipping or any other injury). These sentences and the underlying crime could not be pleas bargained. No parole, no time off for good behavior, and consecutive to the sentence for the underlying crime.

SoSueMe

Nonsense, USA – if any of those “offenses” you imagine are facilitated by the use of a firearm, then Alan1018’s comment would be applicable. I’m having extreme difficulty recalling any jaywalkers or litterers using a pistol/rifle/shotgun in the commission of their crimes…..

Finnky

So now if someone attacks you and you are forced to pull a gun to scare them away – you are dependent upon an “impartial” jury ruling self defense to avoid going to prison for 20 years? In some states it is considered brandishing if anyone can tell that you have holstered gun. So you are basically suggesting that concealed carry should be punished with 20 years in the federal pen with no other option. No thanks.

KenW

All it takes is for some over zealous prosecutor if someone does something wrong that isn’t necessarily criminal and you go bye-bye. Florida has these 10-20-30, although it might 5-10-20 laws, and persons have been prosecuted and have been sentenced over something stupid.

Florida has a printing provision in the CWL statue, and if you concealed weapon gets exposed for some unreasonable circumstance, guess what you can be charged.

Tionico

HAVING a gun or USING a gun? Huge difference. Some states, if they bust you for that wacky weed some folks like to smoke, and they find your daily carry bun on your person, that’s a “firearm in possession during crime” bust, a felony. If I’m not using the gun as a tool to increase my likelihood of success in the crime, WHY should there be “extra” penalties for a nothingburger? Come ONNNN< man.. if the guy walks into a bank and demands money, and he's emptyhanded, the teller will likely laugh at him. If he walks in same way… Read more »

Heed the Call-up

Tionico, most bank robberies are facilitated only by handing over a note or just stating to give the robber money – without any firearm being seen or otherwise utilized. However, I agree that a crime is a crime, regardless of what was used or had on one’s person. If you murder someone, does it really matter whether a firearm or other weapon was used or not? Why should use of a firearm result in greater punishment over just beating someone to death? In my view, beating someone to death is much more visceral and violent than just shooting the victim.

Wild Bill

@Heed, Some crimes are malum en se. Other crimes are malum prohibitum. that is why it matters. We all know murder is wrong. Using some specific tool is wrong, not that one would naturally know it, but rather, because the legislature says so.

Heed the Call-up

Wild Bill, the use of the tool isn’t the crime, and that was my point. The theft, robbery, speeding, etc., are crimes, possession of a firearm isn’t a crime. As we know, just because a law is on the books, does not make it just, nor Constitutional.

BowserB

How about if you substitute felony for crime in Alan1018’s suggestion.

BowserB

USA, that first link made me so mad, I almost didn’t look at the second. That one would have me home schooling my kids, if I had any of school age. Makes you wonder what America will be in 25 years. I might say it almost makes me glad I’ll be dead before that…except that I could get red flagged for it!

Larry

“The laws do not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Rubio lies.

“This is not an assault,” the FBI announces, as their tanks batter down the walls and windows of the occupied building.

SSDD.

Wild Bill

@USA, Well … I hope that is true.