A one minute video demonstrating Kamala's views on the 2nd Amendment (Video)

Kamala on the 2nd Amendment

This Election and the Second Amendment  by Renée Barchitta

VP Kamala Harris is a leader in the Biden Administration on gun policy and oversees the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Harris’s policies to reduce “Gun Violence” are supported by many of the nation’s influential anti 2nd Amendment groups  such as Giffords and Bloomberg.

 Harris stated, “We, who believe that every person should have the freedom to live safe from the terror of ‘Gun Violence,’ will finally pass red flag laws, universal background checks, and an assault weapons ban.”

“In 2008, …Harris led a group of prosecutors that unsuccessfully tried to convince the US Supreme Court to reject a broad right to gun ownership…” 

In 2010 Harris was elected California Attorney General and continued pushing for stricter gun laws.

From 2017 to 2021, U S Senator Harris co-sponsored bills: for universal background checks; to ban “assault weapons;” and increase oversight of licensed gun dealers.

VP candidate Tim Walz originally got an “A” rating from the NRA which was subsequently changed to an “F” rating, after he flip-flopped. Randy Kozuch, chairman of the NRA Political Victory Fund, said Walz is a "political chameleon — changing his positions to further his own personal agenda…In Congress, Walz purported to be a friend of gun owners to receive their support in his rural Minnesota district…Once he had his eyes set on other offices, he sold out law-abiding Minnesotans and promoted a radical gun control agenda…Kamala Harris and Tim Walz cannot be trusted to defend freedom and our constitutional rights." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-on-gun-control/

As Governor, Walz signed into law “…universal background checks, a red flag law, and one of the largest investments in community-based violence prevention programs of any state to date.” https://www.thetrace.org/2024/07/kamala-harris-guns-violence-election/

A good example of Kamala Harris’ ineffective ideas about the 2nd Amendment is in her response to the Parkland shooting. 

The Parkland high school shooting was a mass shooting on February 14, 2018. 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the city of Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.

During Harris’s visit, after the shooting, the VP announced her solution to “school gun violence;” the creation of a National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, funded by the DOJ and run by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.  It would promote states’ passing Red Flag / ERPO laws, and use Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) funding to help implement laws already enacted.  

But the Red Flag Law, if it had been enacted in Florida, would not have stopped Nicholas Cruz from killing 17 people, thanks to the federal government’s “Promise Program.”

Why? 

The ‘Promise Program,’ instituted by President Obama and Attorney General Holder, was to stop what Obama described as the school to prison pipeline for Black and Hispanic youth. “The Broward Co. School District (Majority Stoneman Douglas HS) was awarded $54 million in grants to institute the ‘Promise Program.”  The school’s discipline policy was changed to stop suspensions / expulsions and arrests.                                                                                                                                                                   

The Broward County Sheriff’s Department received 45 complaints/concerns about weapons, violent behavior and threats relating to Nicholas Cruz or his brother from 2008 to 2017 - long before the shootings at the High School. Cruz also made a suicide attempt and a video stating that he could become a school shooter. School officials, law enforcement, and the FBI had been notified about Cruz’s behavior.

Even without Red Flag laws, police officers could still remove a weapon when there was imminent danger or a court order.  But under the Promise Program, no judicial action was taken against Cruz so there was no basis for action. 

It is not a stretch to say the Promise Program caused 17 deaths, because Cruz was never arrested and he could legally purchase a firearm.

Kamala Harris proposed a law which would have been ineffective because of another federal law.

"Trading freedoms for safety promises is a risky proposition, as freedoms once surrendered are seldom returned without extensive struggle.” Jews For The Preservation of Firearms Ownership (jpfo)

What does the 2024 Presidential Election Mean for Gun Rights and Gun Control?  by John Elwood

The Republican nominee for President is former President Donald Trump.  During the run up to the 2016 presidential election, the National Rifle Association (NRA) endorsed Donald Trump on May 20, 2016.  He was endorse again in 2020 and, unsurprisingly, the NRA endorsed former President Donald Trump again on May 19, 2024, delivering Trump his third consecutive presidential endorsement.

What are former President Trump’s positions toward guns? 

Donald Trump has generally been aligned with pro-Second Amendment views.  During his political career, he has supported the rights of individuals to own and carry firearms, often emphasizing the importance of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. 

Some key positions of his stance include opposition to gun control measures such as universal background checks.  Former President Trump believes there would be fewer casualties of mass shootings if potential victims had guns. Trump suggested addressing gun violence through improving mental health services rather than implementing more restrictive gun laws.  Finally, Trump promoted the idea of arming teachers and enhancing school security to prevent school shootings, rather than imposing stricter gun control measures. 

In a speech to the NRA, Trump vowed to protect gun owners’ rights saying, “we need it for safety because the bad guys aren’t giving up their guns.“  Also claiming Biden “is coming for your guns.” 

The Democratic nominee for President of the United States is Vice President Kamala Harris.  Harris was nominated after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race against former President Donald Trump.  Harris is an extension of Biden when it comes to gun rights. 

Prior to serving as President Biden’s Vice President, Kamala Harris was a Senator from California from 2017-2021.  In 2017, Harris was rated the third most liberal senator after Senators Elizabeth Warren and New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand.  In 2018 Harris was rated the second most liberal senator behind Senator Warren, from Massachusetts. In 2019, Senator Harris was labeled the most liberal senator in the United State Senate.  You may notice a pattern!

What is Kamala’s policy toward guns?   Harris advocates for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.  She believes that limiting the size of magazines can help reduce the lethality of guns and decrease the potential for mass shootings.  Harris supports requiring universal background checks for all gun sales including private transactions and those at gun shows.  Harris also believes implementing red flag laws, which allow for the temporary removal, without due process, of firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves and others, is a good idea.

The two political parties could not be farther apart from their positions on guns, making the choice easy for those that are pro or anti 2nd Amendment. 

If you value the Second Amendment, the choice is clearly Donald Trump. 

If you favor losing your Second Amendment protected rights, the choice is Kamala Harris!

To all gun owners, please get out and VOTE during the presidential election.  Support the Second Amendment and YOUR right to keep and bear arms.

Getting Gun Owners to vote:  Five simple things  by Stephen M. Dallas

How often, after yet-another gun control law passes or an anti-gun politician gets elected, do we hear “There’s more than enough gun owners in our state to defeat the gun-grabbers at the polls if they would just vote”?  More often than we’d like.

This problem isn’t limited to gun owners. In a typical presidential election year, no more than 60 percent of the voting-eligible population chooses to participate. Only about 40 percent vote during the midterms. And turnout in local elections tends to be even lower than in federal and statewide elections.

“Get Out the Vote,” or GOTV efforts can increase gun owner turnout during elections.  A nonprofit educational organization, such as SCOPE, may engage in GOTV efforts so long as it is nonpartisan in nature. According to the IRS, if a voter registration drive or a GOTV effort is done in an educational manner without favoring or opposing a candidate or having the effect of favoring or opposing a candidate, a nonprofit can conduct GOTV activities.

Here are five simple things that SCOPE members can do to encourage more gun owners to vote.

1.          Register Voters.    Get gun owners on the voter lists.

A study from Vote4America has revealed that there are 10 million gun owners and hunters in the United States who are not registered to vote.

Gun owners can’t vote if they aren’t registered.   Non-partisan groups can go out and register new voters.  

Finding new pro-2A voters depends on where you look. For example, in Bucks County, PA, for the first time since 2007, there are now more registered Republicans than Democrats.  This is the result of conservative activist Scott Presler.   Presler and his Early Vote Action went to gun shows in the state.  They registered brand new voters, new citizens, young voters and others.   What worked with Pennsylvania gun owners can work in New York!

Other places where 2A-voters might be located are sportsmen’s clubs, gun stores, American Legion posts and VFWs.   Bring voter registration forms, ask if you can leave them for the patrons.  Be respectful but don’t assume these organizations won’t encourage GOTV.  For example, the American Legion's "Get Out the Vote" program encourages all Americans to register and vote in all elections. “Legionnaires, posts, districts and departments are encouraged to fully involve themselves in the electoral process by serving as poll volunteers, poll workers and by encouraging and assisting others to register and vote” (https://www.legion.org/vote/about).   Don’t forget churches either.   The First Liberty Institute provides tips on how to successfully host a successful church-voter registration drive (https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10H53.pdf).  Many of their steps could be easily adapted for other locations where gun owners may be found.

Act quickly!  New York’s voter registration deadlines this year are between October 21 and October 26.  For more information, check with your local Board of Elections or the NYS Board of Elections website (https://elections.ny.gov/registration-and-voting-deadlines).

2.          Bank the vote.  Encourage (legal) mail-in voting, absentee voting and early voting.    

Mail-in and absentee ballots. A New York law allowing all registered voters to cast their ballots by mail was upheld in August by the state’s highest court.  The decision means that the millions of New Yorkers (including gun owners) eligible to vote in the November 5 election will be able to cast ballots by mail if they wish — something that only a handful of people could do before.

This means any registered New York voter may apply for a mail-in ballot. They can apply online (https://elections.ny.gov/request-ballot), in person at their local election office, or by designating another person to deliver their application to the local election office for them.

Mail-in ballot applications are due 10 days before the election. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day or submitted in person by 9pm on Election Day to the County Board of Elections Office or polling site.

Certain New Yorkers are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot. The form to apply is different than, but the places to apply are the same as for mail-in ballots, and the ballot can be returned using the same methods as early mail voters.

Early voting.  Gun owners can also be encouraged to vote in-person via early voting.   Early voting is just like voting on Election Day. Early voters privately mark and scan their ballot at a polling place. Early voting results are counted, tabulated and included in election night totals.  There is no requirement to apply for early voting.  The process is completely walk-in.

Early voting for the general election is Saturday, October 26 through Sunday, November 3. Voters may visit any of their assigned Early Voting Centers in their county, except in New York City, where voters are assigned to one early voting site.  To find each county’s early voting locations, click here: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.  Early voting may be an especially attractive process in upstate New York, where even early November weather can be unpredictable, and voters may have difficulty making it to the polls on Election Day.   Early voting can also be a guard against other unexpected events that might arise on Election Day, from family obligations to workplace emergencies.

3.          Get voters to the polls.   Make that final push. 

Whether it’s absentee, mail-in, early voting or Election Day voting, there are various ways that non-profits can help get gun owners to polls, often through local sportsmen’s clubs, veterans or churches or similar 2A-friendly groups:

• Networking.  Use existing phone lists, email, mail, and newsletter distribution lists to share a final reminder about Election Day with gun-friendly groups’ members and make a push for them to get out and vote.  The message can be as simple as:

• “Remember, November 5 is Election Day! Do not forget to vote!”

• Become a  poll worker.  Poll workers sign in and process voters, demonstrate voting procedures to voters and assist voters if requested. In order to be eligible to serve as a poll worker, you must be a New York State registered voter.  Poll workers get paid for training and each day they work.  Sign up with your local board of election here: https://elections.ny.gov/form/become-a-poll-worker.

• Provide Rides to the Polls. Helping gun owners get to the polls is a great way to ensure that they vote.  We can do this on our own or in conjunction with others. Here are some things to do to create a successful strategy:

• Before Election Day, tell people that you will be offering rides to the polls on Election Day, and let them know that sign-ups are required. (Note that there will probably still be last minute requests and changes, especially if the weather conditions are poor.)

• Determine whether you will lead the effort or work with others.

• Establish how many cars, vans, and people will be involved/available.

• Train volunteers to ensure they remain nonpartisan during their interaction with the voters they transport (such as not asking them whom they are going to vote for).

• Divide Election Day into two-hour blocks of time (or more, depending on capacity).

• Have someone act as “dispatcher” to organize drivers and the requests for transportation that come in from voters.

“Today is Election Day! If you have questions about your polling place or the hours for voting, call 1-866-Our-Vote (1-866-687-8683) or visit www.vote411.org for information.”

“Your vote counts. Your vote matters. Support your rights as a gun owner and vote today!”

4.          Fight voter fraud with increased turn out.  There’s strength in numbers.

It is important to guard against voter fraud.   But we can’t let concerns about it depress pro-2A voter turnout. As explained by Charles ‘Kip’ Kiplinger, the vice president of the North Central Alabama Republican Assembly:

Continually emphasizing a rigged system and the potential for manipulated votes risks conveying the message that individual votes don't matter. This narrative plays into the hands of the opposition, who capitalize on disillusionment to drive down voter turnout for the other side.  

We need to assure voters that even if there were irregularities, the best way to counteract them is to participate in the democratic process.

It's crucial to emphasize that, with enough votes, any algorithmic interference becomes inconsequential. There is, and always will be, strength in numbers.

In other words, the best way to fight potential voter fraud is to get so many people on “our side” to vote that it becomes impossible for “the other side” to cheat in any meaningful way!

5.          Don’t delay. Start today!

GOTV is an opportunity to mobilize gun owners in support of the Second Amendment.  We have the power to make a real impact, so don’t hesitate to start planning and implementing a strategy today!

While illegal migration at the U.S.-Mexico border continues to dominate election year politics, the country's northern border with Canada is also confronting a record-breaking surge in unlawful crossings.

More than 12,200 people were apprehended crossing illegally into the U.S. from Canada in 2023, a big jump from the 3,578 arrested the previous year, The New York Times reported. Through the first four months of fiscal year 2024, the Border Patrol apprehended 4,772 people between ports of entry That’s up from 2,229 apprehensions in the first four months of fiscal year 2023.

Of course, the southern border dwarfs these numbers, where its estimated 10 million illegals (apprehensions and got aways) have crossed since Biden and Harris took office.

Anything being done to discourage this invasion?  Just the opposite in California!

The Democrat-controlled California Legislature has passed a bill which would grant undocumented immigrants access to the state’s taxpayer-funded home loan program, which provides up to $150,000 in down payment assistance for eligible first-time home buyers. 

California Republicans are urging Governor Newsom to veto the measure, arguing that the bill will incentivize illegal immigration. (Ya think!)  Newsom has until September 30th to make a decision on whether he will sign the bill into law. 

Some quotes which summarize the situation:

“I didn’t know it was possible to make the border crisis and the housing crisis worse with just one vote, but Democrats found a way…Giving taxpayer-funded housing subsidies to illegal immigrants will drive costs even higher and encourage more chaos at the border.”

Migrants crossing the border illegally “look to California’s current policies like a giant welcome sign…Welcome to California, where illegal immigrants get free healthcare, free food, and now a free home with 0% down. “This is not rocket science. If you’re giving out free stuff, more people are going to come.”

Back in February, Representative Claudia Tenney recognized the situation and pointed to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that showed a majority of people on the terrorist watchlist who crossed into the U.S. illegally last year did so along the northern border.  “We know there are going to be terror cells and people who are going to do harm to the American people are coming across that border," she said in an interview with Fox.

After inviting this illegal invasion and seeing the results rejected by the majority of Americans, Kamala Harris and the Democrats are now saying they will deal with illegal immigration.  Which reminds me of a story Ronald Reagan told.

A woman was getting married for the fourth time and went shopping for a wedding dress.

She picked out a white dress and the saleslady pointed out that white is usually reserved for first time brides who have not…you know…

The bride to be responded that she still qualified. 

My first husband died of a heart attack in the limo going to the reception.

My second husband and I got into a terrible fight in the limo and we immediately divorced.

My third husband was a Democrat and all he did was sit on the end of the bed and tell me how good it was going to be.

Reagan was a man for all ages and his story is as true today as in the 1980’s. 

If 1% of the 10 million illegals were criminals, that is 100,000 more criminals running loose in the U S A.

If 1/10^th of 1% are criminals, that is 10,000 more criminals running loose in the U.S.A.

10,000 criminals, equally divided, gives us 200 would be murderers / rapists / thieves in NY State.

On September 11^th 2002, nineteen aliens (19) killed 3,000 Americans.

How are we to protect ourselves?

Democrat policies in California, New York and D.C. are to take away the rights of Americans to defend themselves; those protected by the 2^nd Amendment. 

In addition to the danger posed by criminal aliens, the Democrats have also pushed defund the police policies, reformed bail laws and decriminalized certain crimes.  The ability to personally defund oneself and one’s loved ones are even more vital to us, today. 

We used to say, “When the police are minutes away, help is only 1,500 feet per second away.”

That has been amended to say, “When the police might be hours away, help is only 1,500 feet per second away.”

Remember how vital our 2^nd Amendment rights have become when you vote.

Non NY Residents Can Apply for a NYC Pistol Permit

About two weeks ago, there were a few articles about an ‘Emergency Rule’ in New York City allowing non-New York State residents to apply for a pistol permit in NY City.  The stories fell far short of being fully informative and left many people confused.  SCOPE read the actual Emergency Rule* and the following is a summary.

On August 6th, NY City Mayor Adams signed the NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF EMERGENCY RULES RELATING TO NON RESIDENT APPLICANTS FOR CARRY LICENSES AND TO PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION AUTHORIZATIONS.  (Emphasis added.) The Emergency Rules are effective immediately, but only for 60 days while the NY Police Department develops permanent rules.

First, a brief history:

On June 23, 2022, the United States Supreme Court ruled in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that New York State’s “proper cause” requirement for obtaining a concealed carry firearm license was an unconstitutional restriction on an individual’s 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.

On July 1, 2022, New York State enacted new statewide licensing standards removing the “proper cause” standard and adding additional criteria, effective September 1, 2022, for carry license applicants. (The ill named Concealed Carry Improvement Act.)

In addition, New York City says it revised its licensing regulations to remain consistent with case law and continues to do so in response to evolving Second Amendment cases, including the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Rahimi.

2024 NYPD rules did not contain formal procedures for applicants who do not reside in New York State, are not principally employed within New York City, and do not have their principal place of business in New York City.

Which brings us to today. 

Mayor Adams believes an Emergency Order is needed, two years later!  Sounds fishy!  (With apologies to fish.)

The order justifies itself by the following statement: Delaying implementation of these additional rules would severely impede New York City’s ability to effectively and legally regulate handgun ownership within its jurisdiction.

That doesn’t begin to explain the sudden emergency, after two years, to permit non-New York State residents who are not principally employed within New York City to apply for a pistol permit in NY City.

And what is that add on about rules for “Purchase and Registration Authorizations”

Per the order:  Section 5-25 of Title 38 of the Rules of the City of New York, relating to handgun acquisition requirements is REPEALED, and a new section 5-25 is added. In addition to any applicable federal or state requirements, the following procedures apply to all licensees seeking to acquire and register a handgun to one or more of their licenses

No person shall acquire a firearm if such person has acquired a firearm within the previous ninety (90) days

Any licensee who obtains a handgun must purchase or obtain a safety locking device at the time of acquisition of such handgun,

A licensee may not take possession of a handgun without prior written authorization from the Division Head, License Division.

A licensee may not take possession of a handgun before it has been inspected by License Division personnel and entered on the license.

The number of handguns allowed under each type of handgun license is limited to 1 or 2.

Buried in the non-resident Emergency Rules are more anti-2A rules which have nothing to do with non-residents. 

Sneaky.  But could there be even more that is concerning NY City’s anti-2A leadership?

On August 24^th it was reported that the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), the California Rifle & Pistol Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Gun Owners of California and seven private citizens won a victory when a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against California’s ban on non-resident concealed carry.  (The state has 21 days to file a response.)

In her decision, Judge Garnett observed, “the State bears the burden of showing whether California’s residency requirements for a CCW license is ‘consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation…the State has not carried its burden at this stage to show that the limitation of CCW licenses to California residents is part of a historical tradition of this Nation.”

Could this be the emergency?

Did NY City suspect that the courts would rule against California and issue an opening salvo against non-resident concealed carry as being unconstitutional under “Bruen”.  The same thing that NY City says it is addressing in its Emergency Rules - which only serve to make the rules more bureaucratic.  Non-NYS residents can apply for a permit but don’t hold your breath while the anti-2A bureaucracy in NY City buries you in rules, regulations, delays and disinterest under the Emergency Rules. 

When faced with losing a court case, in the past, both NY City and State have tried to moot the case by tweaking the law.  Their changes may not hold up under judicial scrutiny but that’s not the point.  Forcing 2A plaintiffs to spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawsuits - that’s the point.

Statement of Basis and Purpose of Emergency Rule

PRESS AND PROTESTS SHOULD CHALLENGE DEM CRIME REFORMS  - by Bob Lonsberry 2024

When you call the police, they come.

But now the police have called us, and we should come.

On Friday, in the lobby of the Public Safety Building, Chief Dave Smith of the Rochester Police Department lingered somewhere between rage and heartbreak, thundering in exasperation and emotional fatigue about one more crime and one more death and one more illustration of the fact the laws and lawmakers of the state of New York are on the side of the criminals.

This involved Thomas Chase, a 92-year-old retired college professor who spent the last 30 years as a volunteer piano player at a nursing home. Chief Smith leaned into the wreckage of Mr. Chase’s car on Thursday, his lifeblood still flowing from his shattered body, and recited the Lord’s Prayer as a service at his passing.

Mr. Chase’s car had been hit by a 17-year-old blowing like hell down East Avenue in a stolen Kia.

It was the 17-year-old and two confederates and 10 minutes before they had been one side of a shootout on Maria Street. Between then and the moment of impact there had been a car change – from one stolen Kia to another – an attempt to ram a police officer, and the headlong sprint away from the screaming blue and whites.

And then the crash into a sainted elderly man the next town over.

And that was pretty sad. But, with more than 30 years on the job, Chief Smith has seen dead people before. And with his Christian faith and the cross on his uniform denoting his chaplain training, he’s prayed for victims before.

But this was different.

Because this vehicular homicide had so many accomplices. The governor, the speaker, the majority leader, Harry Bronson, Jeremy Cooney, Samra Brouk, Jen Lunsford, Demond Meeks, Sarah Clark, and all their co-conspirators in the state capital. All have blood on their hands. All the way to their elbows. They had a part in killing Thomas Chase, and in victimizing hundreds of others who were slain, raped, beaten or robbed by criminals freed and empowered by the “criminal-justice reforms” of the Democratic Party.

That 17-year-old? The one behind the wheel and behind the crime? He is a parolee – already, at 17 – who was arrested a dozen times in Rochester alone last year for stealing cars and smashing them into businesses to steal and loot. His most recent arrest was for another stolen car in the Buffalo area four weeks ago.

He has been arrested over and over and over by the police, and turned loose over and over and over by the politicians. Raise the Age, a specific piece of legislation pushed by the governor, speaker, majority leader and every member of the local Democratic delegation to the state legislature, removed him as a juvenile from any sort of real accountability. Bail Reform, a specific piece of legislation pushed by the governor, speaker, majority leader and every member of the local Democratic delegation to the state legislature, turned him loose repeatedly with nothing more than an appearance ticket. Less is More, a specific piece of legislation pushed by the governor, speaker, majority leader and every member of the local Democratic delegation to the state legislature, made it virtually impossible for his parole to be violated, even when he was charged with subsequent felony crimes.

And so he was free.

The politicians set him free.

To get in a shootout on Maria Street, to almost smash into a cop, to kill a kindly retired professor in Brighton.

And Chief Smith stood there on Friday in the lobby of the Public Safety Building fit to be tied.

He was calling for help.

And it’s our time to answer.

The direct moral culpability of specific local and state politicians must be acknowledged and protested – by the people and the press.

Dog-and-pony show appearances in the Rochester region by the governor, speaker and majority leader should be protested loudly. Let every ribbon cutting, airport press conference and glory-seeking stop by any member of this troika of lawlessness be met with pickets and protests.

And let the local press stop being lapdogs for politicians who treat them like PR functionaries. At every appearance by visiting office holders, and at every press event or public appearance of Jeremy Cooney, Samra Brouk, Harry Bronson, Demond Meeks, Jen Lunsford and Sarah Clark, let local reporters have the courage to make every question be about criminal-justice reform. If the people, sheriff, chiefs, district attorney and activists decry the carnage imposed by these reforms, why are reporters not persistent in pressing those in power on the issue?

If the press is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, no one is more comfortable, powerful, privileged or elite in this community than those who have voted to support the laws which killed Thomas Chase and others across Rochester.

This is not a partisan undertaking – math and mail-ins assure that Democrats will win every countywide and state legislative election in Monroe County for generations to come – so the press wouldn’t be hurting the Democratic Party, with which it is apparently allied, but it would be helping the people of Rochester, which whom it should be allied.

It’s time to go Ida Tarbell and Jacob Riis on this subject. Neglect by the elites – through poisonous legislation – victimizes the people of Rochester, who are disproportionately poor and non-white. Somebody should stand up for them.

And somebody should answer the call of the police.

They did their job. Over and over and over. And Thomas Chase still ended up dead.

It’s time to answer the call.

Protest all visits of senior state officials to Rochester, and make every public appearance by Democratic state legislators a press conference on criminal-justice reforms.

It’s time all of us – the people and the press – were fit to be tied.

Lead Ammo Again

The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is pushing the use of non-lead ammo. 

In April, it released an update to their study.  A summary is published on their web site under the heading: “Choose Non-Lead Ammunition.”

The following is taken directly from the DEC web site.

“…due to the social, political, economic, and ecological complexity of this issue, the New York State "Lead Ammunition Working Group" was formed in December 2020. The charge to the Working Group…was to conduct a comprehensive examination of the risks posed by lead hunting ammunition to wildlife and people and recommend actions to minimize those risks.”

The summary is almost entirely devoted to the dangers of lead ammo or the advantages of non-lead ammo.  It includes “helpful tips that deer hunters would never have thought of, such as:

Practice marksmanship and outdoors skills to get cleaner, closer and precise shots.

Avoid shots at running deer as this decreases accuracy.

Wow!  Thanks DEC!

Buried in this indictment of lead ammo is one sentence:

“To date, there are no reported human illnesses related to the consumption of wild game shot with lead ammunition.”

One question left unanswered is how much money was spent to produce this study.  Since Cornell University was involved, my guess is “a lot.”

 

The “War on Lead Ammo” has been previously highlighted by SCOPE with its coverage of NY Senate bill S8461, which would add very expensive modifications to many (if not most) Skeet Shooting Ranges, in the name of lead ammo contamination prevention.  Thankfully, that bill has gone nowhere, yet.  But like the “Terminator”, it will be back.

Operation Demoralize

Cornell Professor William Jacobson wrote in Legal Insurrection:

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke to you about Operation Demoralize.

It’s something we’ve been tracking at Legal Insurrection since 2011 and what it is, it is a concerted effort every presidential election to suppress Republican votes by creating a narrative that it’s over. There’s nothing you can do. The momentum is with the Democrat. It’s already been written, the result.

And we know that’s not true. People are falling for it again. Now I see it all over the internet. I see it in my inbox, I see it in comments, I see it everywhere.

I just want to give you a little bit of historical perspective. On this date. August 14th, according to the Real Clear Politics national polling average, and that’s important, it’s the national average, Kamala Harris is up 1.1%. Oh my God, the sky is falling. It’s over.

By comparison on this date in 2020, Joe Biden was up by 7.7% in the same Real Clear Politics average, and on this date in 2016, Hillary was up 6.8%.

That’s the historical record. That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t be concerned. That doesn’t mean people can’t do better. That doesn’t mean really anything other than you are being played.

Polling at this time in the year is junk Polling at this time in the year predicts nothing, and you should ignore it. Now you can’t ignore it because it’s all over the place. People are constantly citing the latest poll. What I’m telling you is this is Operation Demoralize.

This is going to be a close election just like it was in 2016 and just like it was in 2020. It’s going to be 30 or 50,000 votes in this state and 20,000 votes in that state. And we’re really fighting over a handful of states for who’s going to be president, and turnout is going to be critical. It doesn’t matter if Democrats win California by 5 million votes, that’s irrelevant. What matters is Pennsylvania and Michigan, and Georgia and Arizona, and two or three other states.

And to the extent the media is able to convince you that it is all over and there’s nothing you can do, that is not in your interest as a voter.

So what I’m saying to you is: We are still in Operation Demoralize. It’s working just like it does every summer that we’ve tracked it. Shake out of it and get yourself together. There are legitimate concerns that people need to address, but this hyperbole and this hair-on-fire reaction is ridiculous. So, carry on.

And it isn’t just Jacobson saying these things.

CNN’s Harry Enten issued a warning that Donald Trump is still very much in the presidential race.

Enten said, “We put out those poll numbers yesterday…all of which showed Kamala Harris with clear momentum and enthusiasm potentially on her side. But I just want to take a step back and sort of point out we’ve kind of been here before. So, August 13, how far were the polls off in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and this is in 2016 and 2020 — Trump was under estimated both times around and by significant margins. Take a look here, in 2016 the average poll in those states they mentioned, those Great Lakes battleground states, Trump was underestimated by nine points on average at this point in 2016. How about 2020? It wasn’t a one off, look at this: He was underestimated by five points on average.”

“And of course Kamala Harris’s advantage in those New York Times-Siena College polls were four points in each of these key battleground states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. The bottom line is this: If you have any idea- if you’re a Kamala Harris fan and you want to rip open the champagne bottle, pop that cork, do not do it…If we have a polling shift like we’ve seen in prior years, from now until the final result, Donald Trump would actually win.”

And as to the ‘enthusiasm’ that he mentioned, Enten also pointed out that polling actually shows that Republicans are slightly more likely and Democrats are slightly less likely to say they will go to the polls than they were a few months ago.

Flip Flopping Away

Tim Walz is the Democrat nominee for Vice President and 2^nd Amendment defenders are jumping on him.  Even though the President is the important one in policy decisions, the Vice President should not be forgotten.  So, what the heck, let’s point out Walz’ history with the 2^nd Amendment.

Walz once had an A rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA).  The NRA has since changed that to an F.

Walz, who says he was never been a member of the NRA, replied, “I had an A rating from the NRA. Now I get straight F’s. And I sleep just fine.” 

So much for “inclusiveness” when it comes to caring what constituents who are gun owners think!

What changed Walz?

 Walz was a member of the House of Representatives for 12 years, he represented a conservative district that borders Iowa and the district was relatively friendly to guns.

In 2018 when Walz decided to run for Governor of Minnesota, he started pushing anti 2^nd Amendment policies.  Could his move leftward had to do with trying to get votes as he moved from a conservative district into a statewide race in a leftist state?

(Note: his running mate seems also inclined to change positions as she changes constituencies.  For instance, she is no longer for single-payer health care, or for defunding the police.  She is now for fracking and more border control.  Not to mention no taxes on tips, but I mentioned it anyway.  Reminds us a lot of Kristin Gillibrand’s “about face” on guns after she fell under Chuck Schumer’s magic spell.)

Walz wrote on Facebook during his run for governor, “I support universal background check legislation, oppose conceal and carry legislation…oppose legislation to reduce restrictions on gun silencers…I will work to ensure that Minnesota passes universal background check legislation…and support additional restrictions that ensure that Minnesota keeps guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”  (Sounds like he has checked most of the anti-2A boxes.) 

You know someone is deeply anti-2A when they are for restrictions on silencers / suppressors.  They don’t know what they are talking but that anti-2A rabbit hole they are going down forces them to say it, anyway.

He pushed an assault weapons ban by saying he wants to ban the guns he carried “in war.” He said: “We can make sure those weapons of war that I carried in war is [sic] the only place that those weapons are at.”

Oops.

As many have pointed out, he has never been in combat or carried any firearm “in war.”  His campaign has now acknowledged this was a misstatement by Walz.  (When a Republican does something like this it is ‘misinformation’ and must be censored to protect delicate ears.)

Kamala Harris told a Philadelphia campaign event that Walz believes: “as the majority of gun owners do, that we need reasonable gun safety laws in America.”  Walz is also portrayed as supporting “common-sense regulation.”

In 2018, Walz in an Op-Ed published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote about the NRA saying: “…it’s the biggest single obstacle to passing the most basic measures to prevent gun violence in America — including common-sense solutions that the majority of NRA members support.”

It is mandatory that every leftist statement on 2A include “common sense” and “reasonable” when describing their positions.  (Common sense seems to be an uncommon virtue in the left.)

Mr. Walz supports laws like universal background checks and extreme risk protection order (ERPO) laws which he believes don’t violate Constitutional protections. Walz also claims that anti-gun laws do not make it more challenging for gun owners to acquire firearms, even though he backs banning certain guns.

It’s a fair statement that Walz has earned his F rating from the NRA.