NRA chief tells NRA members they're "freedom fighters" in a "culture war"

[Don Flamenco]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22402866

he incoming president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) has told attendees of its conference they are freedom fighters in a "culture war".

James Porter, who takes over the top job on Monday, issued the rallying cry at the NRA's annual meeting in Texas.

Tens of thousands of people are expected at the gun rights group's event, which comes weeks after the NRA helped stop a firearms control bill.

Gun control groups plan counter-demonstrations in Houston.

"This is not a battle about gun rights,'' Mr Porter told attendees on Friday, saying it was "a culture war".

"[You] here in this room are the fighters for freedom," the Alabama lawyer added. "We are the protectors."
'Anti-gun elitists'

About 70,000 people were expected to attend the conference in Houston, to browse new products from weapons manufacturers and hunting outfitters, and sign up for hunting excursions around the world.

On the stage at the George Brown Convention Center, the NRA's chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, told the crowd that politicians and the media had repeatedly lied about the organisation.

"NRA members have stared those anti-gun elitists straight in the eye, and we've stared them down," Mr LaPierre told the cheering crowd.

Texas Governor Rick Perry also took to the podium, thanking Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz for "fighting back against the anti-gun lobby in their latest attempt to undercut the [US Constitution's] second amendment", a reference to the failed firearms control bill.

Last month the background checks proposal fell six votes short of the 60 needed to advance in the Senate. It had support from almost all the chamber's Democrats and President Barack Obama, but faced near unanimous Republican opposition.

High-profile gun rights activists including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal were also due to speak at the convention.
'Business cloaked as politics'

And the conference will host a demonstration called Stand and Fight, organised by conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

Military veterans who disagree with the NRA are planning a counter-demonstration called Occupy the NRA, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense were due to rally.

Texas state lawmaker Garnet Coleman, a Democrat whose district is hosting the conference, said he did not plan to attend.

"Clearly, the sales and promotion of firearms is big business," he said. "This is business with politics as the cloak."

Opinion polls have repeatedly shown more than 80% of Americans support a wider system of background checks to keep people with criminal histories from purchasing guns.

The long-dormant US gun debate was revived by a December school shooting that left 26 people dead.

Twenty children were among the dead at a primary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

In the wake of the Newtown shootings, some states including New York, Colorado and Connecticut have passed gun control legislation, while laws have been loosened in South Dakota, Wyoming and Arkansas.

Following the Newtown shootings, the NRA called for armed guards in US schools.

welp

[Great Rumbler]

Total scum.

[Great Rumbler]

Glenn Beck was mentioned in that article, so I'll add this:

http://mediamatters.org/video/2013/05/02/glenn-beck-theres-a-very-good-chance-the-housto/193883

And here's a bonus:

A survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”

It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.

Okay, one more:

Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation aimed at combating a threat to gun rights that even the National Rifle Association has described as pure fiction.

A bill introduced late last week by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) would ban federal agencies, excluding the Pentagon, from buying more ammunition during a six-month period if it currently possesses more than its monthly averages during the Bush administration.

The conspiracy theory that incubated the bill is that the Obama administration is trying to buy up bullets so ordinary Americans have less access to them in the marketplace.
“President Obama has been adamant about curbing law-abiding Americans’ access and opportunities to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” Inhofe said in a statement. “One way the Obama Administration is able to do this is by limiting what’s available in the market with federal agencies purchasing unnecessary stockpiles of ammunition.”

[Joe Molotov]

[Joe Molotov]

"Where we see tragedy, Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg, they see opportunity," said Chris Cox, the executive director for the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action.

...they say, without even a hint of irony, as they rush in to protect the gun industry's soaring sales.

"While we pray for God to comfort those suffering unimaginable pain, they rush to microphones and cameras, gather in war rooms on Capitol Hill and scheme about how to use that suffering to push their political agenda," he continued. "That's who they are and what they believe, but not us."

We pray to end their suffering, but the president actually tries to do something, the villain!

[brawndolicious]

The funny thing is the people who are most opposed to gun control are kinda anarchists, I think they'd dislike the idea that they're fighting on behalf of some culture/Washington DC-based lobbying group.

[Great Rumbler]

The funny thing is the people who are most opposed to gun control are kinda anarchists, I think they'd dislike the idea that they're fighting on behalf of some culture/Washington DC-based lobbying group.

Yep, they're the quickest to decry the democratic process and government intervention, as well as the first to call for violent uprising.

[Human Snorenado]

I wonder what Drew thinks about all of this!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Just kidding, he doesn't need to think when has his BELIEFS

[close]

[Mupepe]

I'm going to the NRA convention today to see the museum

I'll avoid all the 2nd amendment speeches and shit though.

[Yoritomo]

...the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate.

For the Love of God, Just Call It a Filibuster!

The journalists who won't fucking call that shit for what it is should be deported to Afghanistan.

Without that in place we'd have toomey-manchin AND concealed carry reciprocity.

Did you really want a 50 vote threshold for that one?

[Phoenix Dark]

Plus it's unlikely nuking the filibuster would do much outside of give republicans another excuse to go crazy. Boehner could refuse to hold a vote on the bill, due to it passing after an "unprecedented power grab" etc etc.

[brawndolicious]

I think the Obama administration would definitely give up concealed carry just to show they are compromising with the responsible gun owner crowd. Obviously there are some who are worried that the list of people carrying a concealed weapon would be public or even in the government's hands.

[Verdigris Murder]

If they could just turn Chuck Heston into one of the patriots from Bioshock Infinite, but his guns would actually shoot flowers and candy-floss.

[brawndolicious]

What about weaponized roofies? Then the best defense is to slut-shame-shame.

[DCharlieJP]

Any European thoughts on this?

I want all the Muslim/mexican/non-white members of the NRA to march through Texas and other GoP bases with armed assault weapons as a show of support - just to see the comedy response

At this point - it should be made absolutely clear that complete oxygen thieves like Glenn Beck who are fanning the flames lit under the crazies will be held as co conspirators in the event of any discharging of weapons.

[Verdigris Murder]

Weaponizing roofies is like making love to a beautiful woman: You need Belgian chocolates and fine wine.

And soft lovemaking music.

Probably a blazing log fire too. Basically in my personal exp points, if a girl is willing to come into your bed naked, she's basically handing you a licence to doggystyle.

I basically need COG, TB and that Jewish guy.

[Phoenix Dark]

Any European thoughts on this?

I want all the Muslim/mexican/non-white members of the NRA to march through Texas and other GoP bases with armed assault weapons as a show of support - just to see the comedy response

At this point - it should be made absolutely clear that complete oxygen thieves like Glenn Beck who are fanning the flames lit under the crazies will be held as co conspirators in the event of any discharging of weapons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act
 

[brawndolicious]

A gun that shoots roofies. Like a modern version of cupid.

[Verdigris Murder]

Weaponizing roofies is like making love to a beautiful woman: You need Belgian chocolates and fine wine.

And soft lovemaking music.

Probably a blazing log fire too. Basically in my personal exp points, if a girl is willing to come into your bed naked, she's basically handing you a licence to doggystyle.

I basically need COG, TB and that Jewish guy.

I pretty much updated my important and individual thoughts on this matter, which is why I've quoted the update........

[Verdigris Murder]

Am Ninty.

How cross do you get when served a cod burger. 1 is no response.

[brawndolicious]

It's just an American version of fish n' chips. I wouldn't get mad.

[DCharlieJP]

A survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”

It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.

Lol - an armed rebellion! I am constantly amused that these treason fantasies seem to ignore WHO and what they'd be up against.

At least if it all does kick off then the US can get an almost overnight rise in average IQ

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

A survey of Republicans found nearly half agreed that “an armed revolution in order to protect liberties might be necessary in the next few years.”

It found 44 percent of registered Republicans believed an armed rebellion could come in the next few years.

Lol - an armed rebellion! I am constantly amused that these treason fantasies seem to ignore WHO and what they'd be up against.

At least if it all does kick off then the US can get an almost overnight rise in average IQ

If the south wants to secede again, this time we should just let them.

[Phoenix Dark]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bennyjohnson/national-rifle-association-bans-bleeding-obama-target-others

[Great Rumbler]

This video is pretty appropriate for this thread, I think:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

On March 10th, Middlefield, Ohio police made what appeared to be a routine traffic stop of a man who had run a stop sign. But then James Gilkerson emerged from his stopped car firing 37 rounds from an AK-47 rifle. Amazingly the two officers in the cruiser sustained only relatively minor injuries and fired off 54 rounds of their own, eventually killing Gilkerson.

Now, the detail that's important to the topic of the thread is this:

Here’s the page on the Tactical Response website about the particular course Gilkerson appears to have taken. (Obviously, we only have this manual in his position at the time of his death. Conceivably he could have gotten it through some other means.) The course is next taught on May 18th and 19th. Sign up now. Here’s the course description from the site:

You know how to shoot your rifle or subgun now let us teach you how to FIGHT with it! This course is far more advanced than any other rifle course you can attend (with the exception of our advanced course) and covers trajectory, battlesight zero, gear set-up, sling configurations, transitions to pistol, use of cover and concealment, practical ready and firing positions, close- and medium-range snap shooting, weapons handling, urban applications, team drills, firing while moving, multiple targets, plus the tactics required to employ this potent tool in combat. Every student leaves this class with empty mags, a red hot rifle, and a smile from ear to ear! This is one of our most popular courses.

This class is great for nearly any magazine fed rifle or subgun and any traditional military style rifle. We will show you how to run your MP5, AR, AK, RPK, FAL, M1A, G3, VZ-58 or whatever weapon you have!

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/05/when_stories_collide_1.php

[Human Snorenado]

Drew just had to use his AK, didn't he?

[Don Flamenco]

these wackos won't go down (read: won't take slight restrictions that don't impede their current usage whatsoever) without a fight.  "Going 2nd Amendment" is the new "going postal" only its gonna be much worse. 

[Great Rumbler]

And how did it take 54 rounds from two police officers to bring down one shooter? Noobs all around.

The female cop was shot in the hand, the male cop was firing through the windshield.

[Don Flamenco]

and the shooter was apparently doing suicide by cop?   or maybe that was at the end...he yelled out "kill me!"  He had an arsenal, maybe he realized how bad of an idea it was during the shootout. 

[Human Snorenado]

After the initial freak out period you can see the cop training taking over after he goes to his knees or whatever.  That round of shots pretty much all hits home from the look of things.

[Don Flamenco]

he's canadian police, horses don't have windshields

[Eric P]

i went a googlin for some light-hearted "horse with windshield" comedy but only found "horse through windshield" tragedy

[Human Snorenado]

I'm not going to arm chair this to death, but that was a poor performance, at least from a military perspective. Firing through the windshield? Where's Boogie? Is that doctrine?

military training =! fat cop training

Plus, these guys are from Ohio, they're gonna be a little slow

[Don Flamenco]

anybody having an ak-47 shot at them for the first time is prob gonna forget their training. 

[Boogie]

I'm not going to arm chair this to death, but that was a poor performance, at least from a military perspective. Firing through the windshield? Where's Boogie? Is that doctrine?

Bad guy's dead.  The cops aren't.

Armchair quarterbacking a police use of force incident by a military standard is pretty dumb, and I am honestly surprised to see you doing so.  Would have thought you were smarter than that.  Unless you're just doing your shtick thing, in which case whatever.

[Phoenix Dark]

I would have waited for his turn to end, had the male cop put down some suppressing fire, then moved the female cop into a flank position.

[Boogie]

I forgot Boogie is the internet public affairs officer for all police forces in North America. You're really going to give these guys a pat on the back for taking a guy out at point blank range by firing 54 rounds on a public road--some of those from inside a car and behind a windshield? smh

For one, I can't tell whether or how many rounds were fired behind the windshield, Rumbler says he was firing from behind the windshield and I don't see where he gets that from.  In any case, it is immaterial.  He responded immediately and got rounds downrange.  That's what matters.

Second, waving that "54 rounds, OMG" factoid around shows that you're talking out your ass.  To use a sports analogy, Hockey and lacrosse goalies look a lot alike.  Similar equipment, they protect a similarly-sized goal, and they faced shots from similarly-sized objects.  But you wouldn't compare save percentages between the two.  You wouldn't call a lacrosse goalie with a 60% save percentage "shit", and you wouldn't call a hockey goalie with an 80% save percentage "amazing".  Because they are different.  fucking.  sports.

In the big picture, hit rates for police-involved shootings are pretty consistently in the 25-40% range.  There are dozens of factors that go into that, from the range at which police shootings occur to the fact that police shootings are almost 100% of the time reactive, with the suspect having the initiative, etc, etc etc.

So no, I do not bat an eye to hear that two officers fired off 54 rounds between them to take down someone who jumped out of his car with a fucking AK and started firing away at them during a traffic stop.

edit:  also, that sure as hell isn't "point blank" range for pistols.  And even if it was, almost all police shooting incidents occur from 0-21 feet.  In 2006, NYPD fired 252 shots from closer than 6 feet, hitting 107 times for a 43% hit rate.   This is simply the nature of the beast for police lethal use of force incidents.

[Great Rumbler]

For one, I can't tell whether or how many rounds were fired behind the windshield, Rumbler says he was firing from behind the windshield and I don't see where he gets that from.  In any case, it is immaterial.

It's in the article on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website:

Stanko said one of his officers, Erin Thomas, got out of the patrol car after Gilkerson was pulled over, walked around the car, and got to about the driver's side door of the cruiser when Gilkerson bolted from his car and began shooting.

Stanko said Thomas fired back, as did her partner Brandon Savage. Stanko said Savage returned fire through the windshield of the cruiser.

[Verdigris Murder]

Boogies statistics are backed up by the fact that in Safe, cops were taking out the gangsters safely, Jason Statham actually acknowledges this by looking impressed. Also shouts go out to Heat, firing through the windscreen! Did it look awesome?

[Verdigris Murder]

Also Brandon Savage.

[Boogie]

For one, I can't tell whether or how many rounds were fired behind the windshield, Rumbler says he was firing from behind the windshield and I don't see where he gets that from.  In any case, it is immaterial.

It's in the article on the Cleveland Plain Dealer website:

Stanko said one of his officers, Erin Thomas, got out of the patrol car after Gilkerson was pulled over, walked around the car, and got to about the driver's side door of the cruiser when Gilkerson bolted from his car and began shooting.

Stanko said Thomas fired back, as did her partner Brandon Savage. Stanko said Savage returned fire through the windshield of the cruiser.

I see.  Nonetheless, that does mean that any shots past the initial volley were made through the windshield.  In fact, with the break between the officers' shots, I wouldn't be surprised if they repositioned out of the vehicle at that point.  Neither the video nor the article allows one to make any harsh judgements about their positioning, in any case.

edit:  nevermind, I misread.

[Great Rumbler]

The male officer didn't exactly have time to re-position himself. Under the circumstances, I wouldn't be to harsh on him for firing in his current position.

[Steve Contra]

So basically when Arnolad is calmly walking through the rose garden in Commando and a million dudes are shooting at him that's about what we can expect from the average police officer?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[drew]

I wonder what Drew thinks about all of this!

you wonder what I think of what? I don't see how this is a story let alone a 2 page thre...

oh. the biz should know better, when people get into firefights for the first time pretty much no matter how much training they've had they mag dump all over the place. adrenaline is a helluva drug mayne.

[Verdigris Murder]

Mag dump is something I used do with old jazz rags. Usually in some woodland near a church.

[Human Snorenado]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/james-holmes-elected-new-nra-president,32326/

[drew]

ugh, wheat thins.  only a sub human wretch would prefer them to triscuits, which aren't anything wonderful either, crackers suck.

[drew]

response from the tool that runs the rifle course the perp allegedly had a flyer of

[Boogie]

He was a cop?

Okay, now I'm ashamed for my profession. 

[drew]

yeah, it's also a shame that he was chosen as the poster child for gun enthusiasts on television (see: AR15, rise of America's gun special on CNN) along with Alex Jones.  which was obviously done on purpose and to great effect.  James Yeager is generally disliked amongst the gun community.  Some people also think he's a coward for how he handled an engagement in Iraq when he went over there as a contractor (when his three car convoy he was the head car in was being fired upon he stopped and got out and ran to a ditch while the guys he was rolling with were getting killed because of his mistake)...when he got tired of being called a pussy on youtube he made a video challenging anyone who was calling him names to a fucking duel along with a signed contract for said duel, when someone called him on it he backed out

[Phoenix Dark]

US gun lobby warns of Obama 'plot'
NRA leadership accuses Obama administration of trying to 'destroy us and every ounce of our freedoms'.

The incoming leader of the National Rifle Association, the largest gun lobby in the US, has told supporters they are at the front line of a 'culture war', fighting for the right to bear arms.

Speaking association's annual convention, in the southern state of Texas, Jim Porter accused Barack Obama, US president of "meeting and plotting with a who’s who of the gun ban movement, scheming to create gun control by bureaucracy.”

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Houston, where gun control advocates aren't giving up.

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/05/201354234949877607.html

[Joe Molotov]

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds

 

[Phoenix Dark]

So the guy has an AK, combat training, AND gets to fire first, and he still loses, only inflicting minor injuries on the opponents, who are firing handguns? What a fucking idiot. That training course must be complete shit, btw.

Sounds like a summary of US military involvement in the middle east.

[Human Snorenado]

Isn't James Yeager the fucktard that got his carry license pulled after threatening Obummer?

[Great Rumbler]

Isn't James Yeager the fucktard that got his carry license pulled after threatening Obummer?

Yes.

[drew]

the perp didn't have any combat training.  and even if he did he definitely wasn't trying to utilize it, it was an obvious suicide by cop.

[Shadow Mod]

Isn't James Yeager the fucktard that got his carry license pulled after threatening Obummer?

lol

[Don Flamenco]

the perp didn't have any combat training.  and even if he did he definitely wasn't trying to utilize it, it was an obvious suicide by cop.

most people do that just by aiming a gun at cops (doesn't even have to be a real gun.)  He also had a bunch of extra mags.  seems just as likely he was on his way to go shoot up the public because obama

[brawndolicious]

I have half a mind to ask the biz how accurate he was in live fire situations, but that's poor taste, right?

Right?

[drew]

seems just as likely he was on his way to go shoot up the public

hm, didn't even think of that...you know that's probably what he was on his way to do, makes more sense than anything else.

but then again thinking of what this guys intentions were rationally is futile, who the fuck knows, maybe he was having the worst day of his life and just said fuck it.