Huffington Post:
Nugent called President Obama a criminal and denounced his “vile, evil America-hating administration” which is “wiping its ass with the Constitution.” Taking it a step further, he said that “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” “If you can’t galvanize and promote and recruit people to vote for Mitt Romney, we’re done,” he continued.Supreme Court justices also came under assault by Nugent, who claims that the court’s more liberal members have signed a declaration against Americans’ right to self-defense:“We’ve got four Supreme Court justices who don’t believe in the Constitution. Does everyone here know that four of the Supreme Court justices not only determined you don’t have the right to keep and bear arms, four Supreme Court justices signed their name to a declaration that Americans have no fundamental right to self-defense.”Nugent concluded with a call to cut off the heads of Democrats in November: “We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November. Any questions?”
Ted Nugent is an old rocker has-been who probably would have a difficult time playing Branson. Oh groan….he will be in Manassas on May 18, performing at Jiffy Lube with REO Speedwagon and Styx. I like the latter 2 groups but Nugent is a blow-hard hate monger. Now why are Styx and REO Speedwagon slumming by performing with him?
At any rate, his speech to the crowd at the NRA convention was simply unacceptable. Some conservatives are worried about Bill Maher? He is a Sunday School meek and mild compared to this dude. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney might want to distance himself from this guy.
No, I don’t think it’s an oversimplification. I simply look at what history is telling us, which is that most of the deadliest gun massacres in the country occur in the so-called gun free zones. Blanket one-size-fits-all gun free zones don’t work, at least not for those whom have sinister intent.
Now, the counter arguments I see in this thread are around the training and stability of the individuals licensed to carry weapons, and those are good and valid points to be debated. Perhaps we should focus on those as opposed to flogging blanket concepts that have clearly failed.
@Cato
I have not spoken out on all gun free zones. I have said I don’t want guns at public schools. I fully support gun free zones there unless that jurisdiction wants to have exceptions.
I don’t care what a school like Hampton Sidney does regarding fire arms. It is a private institution and there is a long tradition of students having guns. They are regulated within the confines of school rules.
On the other hand, there are all sorts of gun rights people who want to arm students on college campuses and faculty in other places. I think those suggestions are misguided as blanket solutions. I am not the one making blanket suggestions.
The good guys are the ones NOT trying to kill students.
In the scenarios that you are describing, ie, school shootings, the bad guy is obvious. And the purpose is not for the armed people to go looking for the bad guy, which is NOT considered self-defense, but to be prepared if and when someone attempt to attack someone. The situation is EXACTLY the same as the general public. You are around armed people all of the time. CCW’s are MUCH less likely to commit crimes, as per FBI statistics.
As for following the Constitution…. if the person is too dangerous to be around firearms, why is that person not locked up? Because those people don’t need firearms to kill people.
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (as passed by Congress)
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” (as ratified by the states and authenticated by T. Jefferson.)
Since training is your concern, I heartily support the return of the armed public militia. And armed militia keeps the peace and supports rights. Its hard to abuse the rights of an organized, armed populace. Citizenship requires responsibility. Lets remake the militia, train them in arms and emergency response.
Things have changed aa great deal since the well-regulated militia was written about. Let’s modernize a bit.
No one accused the good guys of trying to kill students. Here is the bottom line. You and other like-thinking folks think they are sane and law-abiding and therefore can carry whatever weapons they chose to carry.
I and other like minded people don’t know your sanity or your law-abidingness and therefore don’t want to grant you an unfettered license to roam about freely with whatever weapons you choose. No “right” is without some regulation.
@Cargosquid
Rather than joining an armed militia, they could join the National Guard or Reserves.
I’m still not convinced that the average gun carrier can safely deal with attacks in crowded situations. How many gun toters do you think feel that they’re likely to encounter a threatening situation frequently? Rarely? Routinely? I know a guy who carried because he transported expensive jewelry between dealers years ago. He said he was always prepared for a robbery but it never happened. He’s a bit of a gun nut though – always talking about wild scenarios involving fights, writes fiction about interplanetary wars, etc., and lives in Detroit.
I guess I feel no safer thinking that the average Joe Blow has a gun than I do about his driving ability behind the wheel of a car.
Um… the discussion wasn’t about “an unfettered license to roam about freely with whatever weapons you choose.”
It was about campus carry by adults. The usual request is for CONCEALED carry, which is quite “fettered,” involving in this state mandatory training and background checks and a minimum age of 21. Nothing changes except location of carry from a public street to a public school. In fact, non-students and non-employees can carry on campus when visiting. There are no signs at my college, at least.
I agree that we need to modernize. Bring back the militia… redefine it as all citizens between the ages of 18 and …..60? Don’t limit it to men. Start teaching firearm safety in school, like driver’s ed. Explain firearm law. Teach constitutional rights. Start teaching first aid in school. Notice…. I did not say teach firearm SHOOTING. That should be extracurricular. By the time a teen graduates high school, they should know the safe procedures to handle all firearms commonly found in public hands….rifles, shotguns, semi-automatics, and revolvers.
Militia training could cover small unit movement, cohesion, and communication. Everyone could be taught to drive a variety of vehicles, including forklifts and bulldozers. Basic search and rescue could also be taught. Shooting would be part of the training.
Self reliance and local effort is the modern way. Empowered decentralization is more effective than always waiting for a centralized authority to fix things.
@Moon-howler
“No one accused the good guys of trying to kill students.”
I was stating that in these cases, its usually obvious who the bad guy is. The bad guy is the one pointing their gun at you. If you can’t shoot him, you need to hope that SOMEONE ELSE in the class happens to be armed and willing to engage.
Cargo, please. I am not stupid. Plus I have spent more years in that environment than most people. Let’s just set a scenario….you are teaching science in the local high school and in walks someone you assume is a parent and that person is armed. Now please tell me how you know this parent is a good guy? Is he the one wearing white and the bad guys are wearing black?
@Moon-howler
One… how do I know that he is armed? He’s supposed to be carrying concealed.
Two…. local HIGH school…so is this person an employee? Or are you saying that federal laws concerning parents have been changed and anyone can bring a gun on campus?
Three…. is this person threatening anyone or just walking in?
Four… if this person is not identifiable in some way as allowed into the building, call the cops. That’s what happens now if you go into a school without permission and a badge.
I don’t know if ANY person is a good or bad guy. The bad guys don’t announce until they attack. They IGNORE the rules so they will bring a gun ANYWAY. The rules only disarm the good guys. If I do see a gun and the person IS a bad guy, what can the cops do? Nothing. Please, I don’t think you’re stupid. I don’t know why you even said that. But… do you truly believe that, in your scenario, an unarmed teacher is better than an armed teacher if that person IS a bad guy? Its your scenario. You tell me. What would you do if an adult walked into class or down the hall and pulled a gun?
“and a badge”…. I mean an identifiable sticker, badge, etc… issued from the office… not a law enforcement badge.