Pro-Gun Activist Calls Murder of Trayvon Martin "Population Control"

We have already published several blogs here at "Things Pro-Gun Activists Say" cataloging the disturbing comments that pro-gunners have made about Trayvon Martin since the 17-year-old was gunned down by concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. Sadly, more than a month after the murder of this young man, pro-gun activists continue to direct these angry and offensive comments at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV).

One of the pro-gun blogs we heard from is "Guns for Everyone." They made their feelings patently clear to us on Twitter, stating, "#zimmerman = population control...... #dealwithit." Guns For Everyone was created by pro-gun activist Joshua Chase of Atlanta, Georgia.

That was just the warm-up, however. They later directed another Tweet at CSGV and former Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence president Paul Helmke from Oklahoma pro-gun activist Dustin "guns get shit done" Gerhart, where Gerhart bragged about buying a gun through a private sale in a parking lot. Private sellers are not required to conduct background checks nor maintain records of sale under Oklahoma law—these transactions are totally unregulated by government and law enforcement. "whatchu think bout that nigga!" Guns for Everyone asked us.

Then there was pro-gunner Donald David Dalby III, who posted the following "joke" on the CSGV Facebook page: "I was going to kill some defenseless children. since, despite the 2nd amendment, guns are bad, what should I use? I have a 14" machete, a led pipe, and a LugerP08 semi-automatic pistol. I'll be sure to use one of the former two, since guns are bad and all.. suggestions?"

To pro-gun activist "Calvin Raven Eagle" from Atlanta, Georgia, the slaying of an unarmed Trayvon Martin came down to an issue of parenting. "PROSECUTE HIS PARENTS FOR NEGLIGENCE," he wrote on the CSGV Facebook Wall.

Then there was Florida pro-gun activist and conservative businessman "Subnetted," who wanted us to know he was getting drunk and thought Trayvon deserved to die. In the word of his Tweet to us: "Drunk at the bar with sexy girlfriend, life is good. P.S. #OWS are dirty. #Trayon deserved it. What else? @CSGV are retarded. And yes #tcot." Needless to say, for the parents and family of Trayvon Martin, life is anything but good today.

But the most offensive contribution came from a pro-gun activist going by the pseudonynm, "Gi Vemeaclip," who we have discussed on this blog before. He posted a "Trayvon Tribute" video to our Wall that he created under the YouTube account 1BoredKidProductions.It speaks for itself, and is nothing short of disgusting.

Lowering the Boom on the Martin Family

Here at "Things Pro-Gun Activists Say," we have spent a lot of time recently compiling disturbing comments that pro-gunners have made about Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17 year-old who was shot to death by concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida on the evening of February 26, 2012. Martin's crime? He went to the local convenience store to get a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea. Zimmerman, who looked none the worse for wear after his "altercation" with Martin, has still not been arrested.

Recently, a new group emerged to raise money for George Zimmerman's legal team. Called "Legal Boom," this not-for-profit organization was founded by Christopher Kossmann and three other concealed handgun permit holders in the state of Florida. At its website, the group writes, "For all those wondering. Why? Because we want justice just as bad as you. But justice is a fair trial. Not bounties or death threats."

But a little more digging reveals the rationale for Legal Boom goes far beyond that. On its website, the group expresses an absolutist vision of gun ownership, stating, "The right to defend yourself and the people around you as a fundamental principle has no beginning and no end regardless of where you live." Kossmann almost made it clear to CNN that the group strongly supports the National Rifle Association's "Stand Your Ground" law, which is at the center of the Zimmerman case. The law removes an individual's duty to retreat from a confrontation if he can safely do so and allows him to meet force (i.e., a punch) with lethal force (gunfire). Speaking about the law, Kossmann told CNN, "The 'Stand Your Ground' law is there to defend people and their right to defend themselves and so this law really doesn't need to be changed because of one isolated incident. It's a good law ... The 'Stand Your Ground' law has been used for hundreds [of] justifiable homicides in the state of Florida and it should be continued to be used."

Asked by CNN anchor Carol Costello if it bothered him that Zimmerman might have killed Martin without engaging in a legitimate act of self-defense, Kossmann said, "It doesn't bother really bother me and the reason it doesn't it because we don't know." Kossmann then made the stunning admission that the "Stand Your Ground" law allows an aggressor to kill, stating, "There's a specific part under the justifiable use of force, under the use of force by an aggressor, that would allow somebody, even if they provoked the fight, to use deadly force against somebody provided they used every reasonable means to escape the danger and were still being assaulted and were in fear of imminent death or great bodily harm." Legal Boom expands on this on their website, writing, "If Martin assaulted Zimmerman after any pursuit was made Zimmerman could still use deadly force to end any assault that made him 'Reasonably believe that he was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm.' Right wrong or indifferent this is the law and its intent was to protect everyone legally so that just because you’re a hot head you wouldn’t have to die for it in fear of what would legally happen to you if you defended yourself."

One of the group's founders even posted a blog at their website describing an incident in which he leveled his loaded handgun at a man's chest and nearly killed him. Why? Because he got into a verbal confrontation with a group of people on his block who felt he was speeding through the neighborhood. "I can say to you with the utmost confidence that this man was a hair pin away from being killed," the writer says, but then confesses, "the situation could have been easily avoided in the first place by not initiating a verbal exchange with the group."

Finally, despite Kossmann's assertion to CNN that Legal Boom does not condone personal attacks on Trayvon Martin, the group made a pretty searing attack on Travyon's grieving family on Twitter. Asked by a Twitter user how they would feel if someone raised money for a shooter that had killed their unarmed child, Legal Boom responded, "If someone shot one of our members children we would be just as blinded as others, our judgement would be clouded."



This is actually a common smear in the pro-gun community, this notion that people who care about gun violence (and particularly those who have been victims of it) are overly "emotional" and incapable of thinking about the gun issue rationally.

Overly emotional? Irrational? Ignorant of the facts about gun violence in America? Hmmmm...sounds like there might be more than a bit of projection going on there.

Pro-Gun Activists on Trayvon Martin: "Nigs gonna nig."

Two weeks ago, we posted a blog that compiled a series of offensive comments made by pro-gun activists in the wake of the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by 28-year-old concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida. With controversy over the shooting still raging across the nation, pro-gun activists have yet to temper their remarks. Last week, several flocked to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence's Facebook page to leave a series of racist postings.

Pro-gun activist Eric Preisser of Fort Worth, Texas—the creator of the People Against the Brady Campaign [to Prevent Gun Violence] Facebook page—responded to the shooting of Trayvon Martin by stating, "nigs gona nig."

Preisser was echoed by pro-gunner Alexander Rocha of Oceanside, California, who replied, "damn that so sick, nigs gunna nig I guess." In the next breath, Rocha was telling us we should give more guns to "law abiding civilians" like him so the "criminals will be on an equal playing field."

Patrick Green, was outraged over the reaction to the murder. "Black kids like that get killed everyday," he wrote, "but as soon as one bad apple shoots him it's OMG WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL FIREARMS OMGEE! to be honest you sound like teenage girls I mean cmon guys its the second amendment if you dont like it dont buy a gun its incredibly easy."

Pro-gun activist Thomas O'Neill found the topic of shootings involving children hilarious and commented, "Did you guys know that there is a new kind of bullet that is actually built with technology that can pin-point the trajectory to people's heads?! 1 to 4 year old specifically!"

McKenzy Mallon had a good laugh, too, writing, "NO! Guns are evil devices made by evil people! If Zimmerman was not allowed to carry an assault machine gun Trayvon would still be ALIVE!"

"FAMAS [a French assault rifle] assault clips killed mah baby jamal," said pro-gun activist James Butterscotch, mocking the loss of African American children to gun violence. On his Facebook profile, Butterscotch lists his high school as "FUCK SCHOOL NIGGA IMA BE A DOPE DEALER."

Then pro-gun activists began to impersonate African-Americans on the CSGV Facebook page. Posting as "Edward J. Bleachwood," one pro-gunner commented, "if it wasnt 4 guns that yung nigga be still alive." Another pro-gun activist(s) posting under another fake identity, Flight-Cpl Izmash Assaultclip, loved it, replying, "Which young nigger? There are alot of young niggers. People only care if guns kill them. If they are stabbed it won't even make a sidebar." On his Facebook page, "Izmash" then wrote, "1 black kid gets shot(Pretty good way to go) = OMG RACISM HORRIBLE WHITE PEOPLE (Hispanic, Actually) ARE HORRIBLE RACISTS THEY ARE ALL BABY KILLERS. (typed more like: dat racist yo. ma nigga got popped cuz he be BLACK, he aint do notin' wrong. )."

Then there is the fake identity created by a pro-gun activist, named "Gi Vemeaclip." The profile's "Favorite Quotation" is "Nigga you gay." The college is listed as Virginia Tech. The high school is listed as Columbine High School. In pro-gun circles, this qualifies as humor.

Writing to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, "Gi Vemeaclip" then made up a story about a dead brother, stating, "Hey people. While this tragedy about the 17 year old kid getting shot is horrific, this is our time to fight the gun nut's uppresor. My little brother was shot at a Detriot Pistons game by someone with a criminal record. He purchased these from a gun show. Unlike today's social media it didn't even get mentioned except a mention in a tiny article in the local newspaper. Detriot is like a Zone in that abandonment nuclear powerplant in ukraine. yet michigon allows open carry. Our governments should have the ablility to modify the constitution. Its what our forefathers would have wanted. If the people don't want the second amendment then it should be removed. If they don't want the first, then it should be removed as well. It should be 'for the people.'"

Finally, we end with a comment left by pro-gun activist Rooster Coburn, who lives just south of Sanford in Florida. On a Huffington Post blog about the NRA's "Stand Your Ground" law in that state, "Rooster" wrote, "Africa for the Africans. India for the Indians. Florida for the Floridians!"

Pro-Gun Activists Weigh in On Murder of Florida Teen

A recent shooting in Florida has generated national controversy about civilian gun-toters, race, and the National Rifle Association's dangerous "Shoot First" laws (now enacted in more than 25 states). On February 26th, concealed handgun permit holder George Zimmerman, 28, tailed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in his car as Martin walked back to his father's fiancee's home after buying snacks at a local 7-11. Zimmerman was the self-appointed "captain" of his neighborhood watch program and continued his pursuit of Martin even after a police dispatcher told him to leave the boy alone. When police eventually arrived on the scene, they found Martin laying in the grass dying. He had been shot in the chest by Zimmerman. Because of an NRA-written law that was enacted in Florida in 2005—which significantly liberalized the use of lethal force in public—Zimmerman has yet to be arrested.

Most Americans are outraged about the totally unnecessary taking of a young life and calling for justice to be done. Some pro-gun activists, however, have other, disturbing ideas about the murder of Trayvon Martin.

Commenting on a post at "Shall Not Be Questioned" (a blog authored by NRA Election Coordinator Keith Milligan of Langhorne, Pennsylvania), several pro-gun activists expressed thoughts which speak for themselves. First up was "mobo," who wrote, "OMFG, not that this has anything to do with anything really, but 'TREYVON' was this kid’s name? What on Earth is the matter with people? How is a kid supposed to get a respectable job when he grows up when the first thing the employers see is 'Treyvon' on the top of the resume?" He couldn't even be troubled to spell the deceased young man's name correctly. But "Heather from AK" didn't care. She replied, "That’s actually one of the more normal names, these days." Mobo added that no name "scream[s] 'ghetto' like Trayvon ... I guarantee you at least one juror will be inclined to aquit the shooter in part because of the victim’s name."

"dustydog" then suggested that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved, writing, "Kids, it is wrong to beat up armed people. As the unofficial motto of DS [Defensive Shooting] says, “The defenseless victim deserves what he gets.” Whether or not Martin "beat up" Zimmerman is unknown. Regardless, the notion that Martin deserved to be killed because he was not carrying a gun is grotesque.

Pro-gun activist "emdfl" was also quick to blame the killing on Martin, writing, "IIRC from the story, that poor, innocent, (17yo)chillin was visiting his stepmother/father(?). Probably from up north where it’s perfectly acceptable to smart mouth/attack older white people asking you what you are doing in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, Treyvon forgot he wasn’t in the disarmed-victim zone he is used to working in." Martin was actually from Miami, Florida and had no criminal record. Zimmerman, on the other hand, has been arrested for assaulting a police officer.

Next up was the following comment from "Moshe Gintel": "I think the young negro was stopped by Zimmerman, and the kid strong-armed Zimmerman. The kid probably took off on Zimmerman’s race and if he was alive, the kid should be charged with a ‘Hate Crime’ Horrid case of anti semetism. Jews should congratulate the Sanford police chief for not arresting Zimmerman." One of the many problems here is that George Zimmerman is not Jewish.

"Sage Thrasher" made it clear what his "gut reaction" was to the shooting: "You’re right about state of mind. If you’re walking in a strange neighborhood and a car starts shadowing you really slowly on the sidewalk is your first thought going to be 'neighborhood watch' or 'drive by'? Same if you see a teenage walking through your neighborhood: kid buying snacks or mugger? No matter how open minded you are, your reaction is going to depend partially on both your race and the race of the other person; much of that driven by statistics, probability and your own life experiences. (Personally, if I’m minding my own business walking back from a store and car starts following me, my first thought probably isn’t going to be 'somebody wants directions' unless it’s a very nice neighborhood.) In the same way, many of our (and I’ll admit, my) gut reactions to this story are based partially on the age and race of the two participants in trying to decide who the actual 'victim' was in this case."

Finally, Clayton Cramer, the author of a new report for the CATO Institute entitled, "Tough Targets: When Criminals Face Armed Resistance from Citizens," drew the following conclusion on his blog: "Zimmerman, the shooter, had a bloody nose and blood on the back of his head. Based on what the witness said, it sounds like he was getting hit pretty hard by the 17 year old. Regardless of how bad a decision Zimmerman made in confronting Trayvon Martin, once it reached this point, shooting was the right decision."

Really? It's the "right decision" to respond in a fistfight by shooting and killing the other guy? Is this what now passes for the "rule of law" in the pro-gun community? "Shoot First," indeed...

Wisconsin Gun-Toters Dabble in Misogyny, Homophobia

Back in May 2011, we examined some disturbing comments that were posted at a Facebook page called "Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Lies." The page serves as a platform for pro-gun activists to attack the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) and its executive director, Jeri Bonavia. WAVE "is Wisconsin's only statewide grassroots organization solely dedicated to reducing gun violence, injuries and deaths."

One would think that the folks at "WAVE Lies" would be in a slightly better mood these days. On July 6, 2012, Wisconsin's Republican Governor, Scott Walker, signed legislation into law (with National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director Chris Cox immediately at his side) that allows the state's residents to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public.

But that apparently hasn't improved their spirits. On February 11, pro-gun activist Rob Luke of Barbaroo, Wisconsin posted a doctored photo of Jeri superimposed on a Playboy magazine cover at the "WAVE Lies" page. Pro-gunner Grant Guess of Racine Wisconsin—who fancies himself a "Defender of Truth, Justice and The American Way," jumped in and commented, "That cannot be Jeri...she is far fuglier than that in any pic I've seen of her. Brrrrrrrrrrr." John S. Whittemore, a member of the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, agreed, writing, "OMG, that is one fugly bitch!"

That derogatory term is apparently quite popular at "Wave Lies." It was also used by Navy enlisted man Max W. Schmidt when Jeri blocked him on Facebook (one can only wonder why).

More explicit language was also employed. A few days later, Grant Guess added the following comment:

Who in their right mind would lay the pipe to anyone as fkn butt-ugly as Jeri?? I would not hit that with a dead dog's dildo. I prefer my women to actually look like one.

Commenting on the "WAVE Lies" page on March 2, pro-gun activist Justin Mann said of those who support tougher laws to reduce gun violence:

They are ignorant and they will be victims. Just how things work.

Grant Guess liked what he heard, and commented:

We need sheep like the folks at WAVE so that the wolves have someone to bend over and brutalize. That's how most of them are conceived...

In the parlance of pro-gun activists, a "wolf" is a criminal and a "sheep" is a civilian who does not carry a loaded gun in public. The gun-toters are the "sheepdogs," who guard the sheep and herd all parties as necessary.

Guess' comment—with its reference to rape—was eerily similar to comments made about Jeri Bonavia and her college-age daughter in May at the "WAVE Lies" page.

When Guess found out that Jeri posted his comment on the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Facebook page, he was incensed, and adding the following comment at the "WAVE Lies" page:

We are never going to change their minds because they are truly fucking twisted, irrational victims of incest or other brain damage. Fuck 'em and feed 'em fish heads. We have the power, they don't and I take great comfort in that knowledge, LMFBO.

The next target on the "WAVE Lies" Facebook page was Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Communications Ladd Everitt, and now the pro-gunners indulged their homophobia. First page moderator Sean Hobena, the owner of Bad Bones BBQ in Minocqua, Wisconsin, described Ladd as "an effeminate homosexual throwing a hissy fit." "After seeing his photo, there can be no doubt that he is a master of tuning meat whistles," added Grant Guess. "I thought he specialized in the Skin Flute?" asked Hobena, taking the distasteful, sophomoric joke about as far as it could possibly go.

Max W. Schmidt and his buddies at "WAVE Lies" like to describe Americans who care about gun violence as "hoplophobes," a made-up term invented years ago by virulent racist/misogynist/homophobic NRA board member Jeff Cooper. But what do you call a group of grown men who hang around a Facebook page all day making comments like the ones cited above?

In Wake of School Massacre, Ohio Gunrunner Seeks Profit Over Penance

On the morning of February 27, T.J. Lane, a 17-year-old sophomore, opened fire in the Chardon High School cafeteria with a Ruger .22-caliber Mark III target pistol, killing three students and wounding two others. It was a terrible tragedy—even in a country where mass shootings have become a daily occurrence—that stirred the nation and broke the hearts of residents of Geauga County, Ohio.

Not everyone was focused on mourning and paying their respects, however...

Scott Weber is one of the most profitable firearms dealers in Ohio and an outspoken pro-gun activist. He owns Gunrunner Online Auctions and a gun shop in Burton, Ohio. Before entering the gun dealing business in 2000, Weber taught at a high school and was employed by Beretta to showcase the company's products. He is scheduled to begin hosting a talk radio show this month on WNIR-FM and hopes to develop a TV show about his business that is similar to "Pawn Stars" or "American Pickers."

On the day of the massacre at Chardon High School, Weber recounted his immediate reaction to the shooting on his "Burton Blog":

I stopped my workout and went into the lockeroom and put my coat on. I went to the office desk and got onto a phone and called my gun stores. I got a hold of my manager who was there early. I said, "Make sure everyone has on handguns as usual and our riot guns and M4's are loaded and available. Run security up by 3." "Already done, boss," he said.

Beyond that spasm of paranoia, no grief was forthcoming. Weber used the rest of the blog as a "gotcha" moment:

OK, what have we been saying on this blog for YEARS now? Just because you're in Geauga County, does NOT mean you're safe! And what else have we been saying? Where ever there is a "No Gun" zone, rest assured this is WHERE THE SHOOTINGS WILL OCCUR because the shooter will not encounter any resistance ... As I've said before: ARM YOURSELF. Your life is in your own hands. DO NOT rely on law enforcement to protect you. They come way, way too late..."

It was a convenient (and always timely) message for a man who sells guns for a living...

A few days later, Christopher Evans of The Plain Dealer contacted Weber and asked him if T.J. Lane's access to guns was a factor in the shootings. Both Lane and his family have a long history of violence and criminal conduct. Despite this fact, reports indicate that "about two dozen weapons were discovered in FBI searches of Lane's relatives' homes." Ohio has no "Child Access Prevention" law to hold gun owners accountable if a child or teen gains unauthorized access to their firearms.

Nonetheless, Weber had this to tell Evans:

It has nothing to do with accessibility of guns. I'm not gonna enter that conversation. It's absurd.

But Weber was just getting warmed up. The day after Evans' editorial appeared in The Plain Dealer, he wrote a scathing blog attacking the newspaper and anyone who might agree with its conclusion that access to guns played a role in the tragedy at Chardon High School. Weber started his piece out with a homophobic rant:

I don't read the Plain Squealer ... From what I have heard, they are in big money trouble (no one else is reading them either!) and all they have left is a bunch of "B" and "C" grade "journalists" (I use that term very loosely) who are tremendously LIBERAL and ANTI-GUN. Most are queers from what I've heard, so they often write about promoting queers to marry in Ohio (it's not possible to have such a union, but I hear they are for it-they stick together, these queers).

Weber then began a name-calling tirade that would do a middle-schooler proud:

What I think is hilarious is that far left/communist/Obuma loving journalists-the PD's vast make-up-are FORCED to cover the GUN OWNING REVOLUTION that is taking place right now! ... So I say to all of the gun-hating, lily-livered, bed-wetting liberal "journalists" (read that as typists and hacks) who write anti-gun swill with their stupid terms that they trade back and forth like the empty heads that they are (examples: "Assault Weapons", "Cop-Killer Bullets", "Unlicensed gun dealers", "High Capacity Magazines", "Gun Show Loopholes", "Saturday Night Specials", "Rogue Gun Dealers", etc.) guess what? KEEP WRITING ALL THE SWILL YOU DO BECAUSE YOU ARE CAUSING HUGE RUSHES TO GUN STORES AND AUCTION SITES AND WE LOVE IT! ... Hey, these days you can barely get into the door of a Cleveland gun show, the gun stores are three and four deep on the counters waiting to buy and online sites like mine are BOOMING! Why? Because the gun buyers are saying: "Fuck you!" to the gun writers and the anti-gunner politicians! I get VAST entertainment out of these hack anti-gun "writers" ... I just laugh and then load up my best AR-15 and blast-off a few magazines off my back porch! Salute! And then I strap on my two concealed handguns and off I go!

Finally, Weber concluded with a threat of violence, making reference to a frequent commenter at his blog:

Larry Taylor-writer of [the] letter above is one of the nation's top trap shooters and was a former Navy SEAL. I have shot MANY competitive targets with him. The PD writers would do well NOT to mess with guy... Larry's on MY SIDE and he's one of the GOOD GUYS. I call tell you this: If any of the bed-wetters came around Larry and starting talking anti-gun, this Good American who fought for the Bill of Rights would put their dentist in the next highest tax bracket!

But the day wouldn't have been complete if Weber didn't call for the cash one more time, so he did:

Meanwhile, as Christopher Evans wrote in the wake of yet another shooting in the Cleveland area in which a 13-year-old accidentally killed his 10-year-old brother, "Another family devastated. Another child gone. Only the guns remain."

Pro-Gun Activist on Reagan Shooting Survivor: "The Faggot Should Have Died"

March 30, 1981 was a dark day for America. On that day, a mentally ill man, John Hinckley, Jr., ambushed President Ronald Reagan and his entourage outside the Washington Hilton Hotel and fired six shots before being subdued. He injured four: President Reagan (a bullet lodged in the president's lung about an inch from his heart), D.C. police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy, and Reagan's press secretary, Jim Brady.

Brady was the most severely injured of the four. He was shot in the head and remains permanently disabled to this day. As he worked his way through a grueling rehabilitation process, Jim and his wife, Sarah, became passionate advocates for gun violence prevention. They were particularly disturbed by the fact that Hinckley was able to legally buy the revolver used in the shooting despite a history of mental illness. In those days, there were no background checks on gun buyers. Purchasers filled out a form that asked them about potential disqualifiers, but there was no process for law enforcement to check and authenticate their answers. It was an "honor system" of the most dangerous sort.

In the late 80s, Jim and Sarah pushed for the introduction of legislation to establish a background check system for gun buyers. President Reagan made his feelings clear about the legislation on the assassination attempt's ten-year anniversary:

March 30...marks an anniversary I would just as soon forget, but cannot ... Four lives were changed forever, and all by a Saturday-night special –a cheaply made .22 caliber pistol–purchased in a Dallas pawnshop by a young man with a history of mental disturbance. This nightmare might never have happened if legislation that is before Congress now–the Brady bill–had been law back in 1981.

The Brady bill became law on November 30, 1993. To date, the law has stopped nearly two million prohibited purchasers from buying guns through federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs). There is no telling how many lives this has saved, but it is certainly many. Jim and Sarah Brady remain engaged in the battle for better gun laws to this day. During a trip to Capitol Hill last year to advocate for legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines (like the ones used in the January 2011 massacre in Tucson), Jim encouraged gun violence prevention activists to "fight fiercely." "I wouldn’t be here in this damn wheelchair if we had common sense [gun] legislation," he noted.

Most Americans admire Jim Brady for his courage, determination and unflappable sense of humor—in the face of the worst personal tragedy imaginable. Some pro-gun activists, however, wish nothing for Jim Brady but death.

The Starbucks Facebook page has become a hotbed of pro-gun extremism as of late, and recently someone (crudely) impersonated Jim Brady there. When confronted by Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) Director of Communications Ladd Everitt about it, the pro-gun activist in question responded as follows:

Personally I wish he would just let go of that last thread of life already. He's already undone a lifetimes worth of constitutional law. As far as I'm concerned he should die a traitors death.

Pro-gun activist Joe Adams of Colorado was equally blunt in commenting on a photo of Jim Brady at CSGV's Facebook page, writing:

lol the faggot should have died when he got shot!

It's impossible to understand why anyone would direct that type of cruelty at a man who has sacrificed so much for his country and fellow citizens.

"A Small Price to Pay"

During a day in which a horrific school shooting occurred at Chardon High School in Ohio—leaving three students dead and two injured—pro-gun activist John K. Haslach of Dunellen, New Jersey left the following comment on the National Gun Victims Action Council (NGAC) Facebook page:

A dead child is a small price to pay to protect our 2nd A rights to stop unjust laws and keep out forgeign invaders!

Haslach wasn't the only pro-gun activist on the attack following the shooting. Hank Fackovec of Woburn, Massachusetts left the following comment on the Facebook wall of Students for Gun Free Schools (SGFS):

People and organizations like SFGFS are responsible for these injured and dead children - If there was an armed teacher - the horror could have been prevented or minimized. Shame on you.

SGFS is an organization that was created to honor Reema Samaha, one of the victims of the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech. "In order to keep her memory alive and try to prevent future tragedies, our mission opposes efforts to allow guns in our schools," SGFS states. The organization's founders include Omar and Randa Samaha, Reema's siblings; Lily Habtu, who was shot in the face and arm at Virginia Tech; and Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the massacre. The notion that they are responsible for what happened at Chardon High School is beyond the pale. It is equally horrific to suggest that the answer to school shootings is to arm K-12 teachers and instruct them to gun down troubled teens rather than giving them the support and counseling they truly need.

Linda Gaither of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship in Ithaca, New York also became a target of pro-gun activists when she urged Starbucks to reconsider its policy allowing loaded guns in its stores following the Ohio tragedy. Pro-gun activist Devon Siefried of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania lashed into her, writing:

Dance in that blood, Linda. Dance in the blood. You're disgusting.

This horrifying "dance in the blood" rhetoric is, sadly, common among pro-gun activists. Frequently, it is directed at individuals who have lost their loved ones to gun violence. Yesterday, Andrew Johnston (AKA “Weer’d Beard”), who has been mentioned at this blog before, attacked Joan Peterson in a blog entitled, "Blood Dancing 101." Joan lost her sister Barbara in 1992 to gun homicide. In the blog, Johnston claims that Joan and others who advocate for stronger gun laws to prevent tragedies...

...talk about dead victims with zero concern for their situation. This is called “Blood Dancing” and they SHOULD be ashamed of it, but they are not. Are they insane? Yes, yes they are!

Finally, Joan received the following comment from a pro-gun activist Dan Roberts (AKA "Son of the Revolution") at her blog "Common Gunsense." Roberts was responding to a blog Joan posted reagarding the shooting at Chardon High School, in which she wrote, "We can pass more gun laws and we should. Making parents responsible for children getting their hands on guns would help. 28 states have some form of Child Access Prevention laws. Laws requiring mandatory reporting of lost and stolen guns may stop gun owners from being careless with their guns. Safely storing guns should be of utmost importance to keep guns away from the hands of children and teens as well as theft. Guns in the hands of children must first pass through the hands of an adult." Roberts saw this as an opportunity to boast about his six-year-old daughter's proficiency with a bow and gun.

He left a hyperlink that goes to his blog "That Every Man Be Armed" and a piece he wrote entitled, "The Next Top Shot." There he says of his daughter, "I started drilling her on gun safety when she was three. She then moved to trigger time on my lap with my 10/22 by age four, by five she could correctly name all the parts and almost completely reassemble my Ruger .45 by herself and she got her own pink Cricket Bolt Action .22 for her sixth birthday."

Meanwhile, the United States continues to lose more than 3,000 children and teens annually to gun violence.

President Obama Called a "Jugeared Wonder-Tard" by Pro-Gunner

As we've noted before at this blog, nothing enrages a pro-gun activist like a woman speaking out, publicly and confidently, for tougher laws to prevent gun violence. As result, women frequently bear the brunt of some of most vociferous and threatening attacks by pro-gun activists.

This blog features such an attack on Joan Peterson, a gun violence survivor from Minnesota and the author of the blog Common Gunsense. In 1992, Joan’s sister, Barbara, was three years into divorce proceedings with her husband. After he left bizarre messages on her answering machine, Barbara got a restraining order against him. One day, Barbara and a male friend went to her husband’s house to deliver some paperwork regarding the divorce. Her husband erupted in anger and shot both of them in cold blood, killing them. Prior to the shooting, he had no violent criminal history. He took his own life not long thereafter in a psychiatric ward.

On February 17, 2012, Joan authored a blog entitled, "It's a Guy Thing." She commented on a controversial House of Representatives hearing that occurred the day before, in which a panel consisting only of men offered testimony on why religious institutions shouldn't be compelled to offer certain types of health care to women (e.g., access to birth control bills and other forms of contraception) under the Affordable Care Act.

Joan began to think about a quote we hear often in the world of gun violence prevention: Wayne LaPierre's famous quip, "The guys with the guns makes the rules." In Joan's words:

The guys. With guns. Making the rules. Hmmmm. Let's think about that for a while. First of all, apparently there were no founding sisters or women involved in the beginnings of our democracy. Who made the rules back then? Who got to decide about the wording of our Constitution? ... Remember now, these guys (and a very small group of women) with guns make up about 2-3% of Americans eligible to own and carry guns. Should they get to make the rules for the rest of us? ... The guys with the guns and those they have intimidated into believing their world view, have passed laws in 49 states now allowing some form of carrying concealed weapons around in public. When the laws passed, these guys convinced legislators that we would all be safer if they were allowed to carry their guns into every nook and cranny of our communities. Some of them may have mentioned that this would also make they and their families safer, thinking there is danger lurking everywhere they go. I don't know why the 97% or so of Americans who don't carry concealed or openly displayed guns don't feel that same danger risk. So for those folks who feel unsafe wherever they go, we have passed laws that allow for loaded guns in Starbucks stores, in churches, in colleges (or so they hope) in grocery stores, malls, etc. Yes, shootings have happened in all of these places, mostly by crazed people who shouldn't have had guns in the first place. And even people with guns could likely not have stopped these shootings. Some commenters on this blog even wrote that they wouldn't try to protect the public in these cases. It would be every "man" for himself ... I'm very happy that the guys in my life are not like the guys I have described in this blog post. Change is coming. Women are speaking out and claiming their place in the important debates of our time.

Joan might as well have blown a dog whistle for the white male "Culture Warriors" in the pro-gun movement. Several commenters jumped in to claim that more women are involved in shooting activities than ever, a dubious claim given that gun ownership among American women has remained totally flat over the past three decades.

Joan then made the following comment about Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's controversial statements about religion:



That was the last straw. Pro-gun activist "Thomas," a frequent commenter at Common Gunsense, jumped in and left the following comment:



The "bell-ringing" that Thomas is referring to takes place in a Memorial Garden in Lake Place Park in Duluth, Minnesota. Periodically, Joan gathers with members of the group Protect Minnesota (which formed when the Million Mom March Chapters of Minnesota merged with Citizens for a Safer Minnesota) and other organizations to remember victims of gun violence. Attendees are invited to ring the Memorial Bell for each loved one they have lost to gun violence.



As for the rest of Thomas' comment, well, it speaks for itself.

The Starbucks Militia

On Valentine's Day, the National Gun Victims Action Council (NGVAC) called for an ongoing boycott of the Starbucks coffee chain because of their company policy allowing individuals to bring loaded guns into their stores. The President and CEO of NGVAC is Elliot Fineman, whose son Michael was murdered in 2006 by a paranoid schizophrenic who legally obtained a gun. Fineman says that Starbucks is "[betraying] their claim to be a socially responsible company" by implementing a policy that follows state gun laws, even where they are weak and involve little or no screening of gun carriers. Currently, 28 states allow residents to Open Carry loaded guns in public without any permitting, screening or training requirement. There are also four states (Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming and Arizona) that allow residents to Concealed Carry loaded guns in public without any screening, training or permitting. All of these states also allow "private sales" of firearms, which do not require any background check. Individuals bringing loaded guns into Starbucks in these states could be felons, wife beaters, sex offenders, severely mentally ill, etc., and law enforcement would have no way of telling if they are dangerous until they pull the trigger.

Despite these problems, pro-gun activists were outraged when they heard about the NGVAC boycott and quickly announced a "buycott" of their own. Here is what the "buycott" called for, as described by the "Guns for Everyone" blog:

First, make sure to visit Starbucks on February 14th and carry proudly. Even if you don’t carry, or don’t OC [Open Carry], let them know that you appreciate their policy. But seriously, just man up and carry that heater like a BOSS. Stop being a pussy.

Pro-gun activists then began to flock to the Starbucks Facebook page to tell of their gun-carrying exploits, post photos of their handguns and assault rifles, and attack all those who disagree with the company's policy concerning firearms. This led to some truly ugly rhetoric, some of which is chronicled here:

There was pro-gun activist Joe Amber Barrett of Leesburg, Florida, who told one woman "FOAD [Fuck Off And Die] you dirty hippy" when she announced that she was boycotting Starbucks:

Pro-gun activist Josh Sumpter invoked the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre to justify Starbucks' current firearms policy. When CSGV Director of Communications Ladd Everitt pointed out that both the Virgina Tech Review Panel and the families of the victims and survivors of that tragedy are unanimous in their support for stronger gun laws, Sumpter said, "that just proves that the VT review panel and the families [of the 32 students/faculty killed and 25 wounded during the massacre] are okay with the tragedy happening again." Pro-gun activist Jonathan Kiviniemi of New Albany, Indiana thought this was wonderful and jumped in to echo Sumpter, adding, "they are essentially saying they want it to happen again."

There was a bizarre comment from insurrectionist gun blogger Kurt Hofmann, who thanked Starbucks for "refusing to be conscripted into the anti-gun jihadists' culture war."

Another woman, who posted a "No Guns in Starbucks" photo, was called a "twat" by pro-gun activist Andy Rau.

Pro-gun activist Shay Robertson thanked Starbucks for "having a backbone" and said, "Not everyone in America is a snivelling developmentally disabled functioning retard who is afraid of inanimate objects." Pro-gunner Jeff Adamson loved it and commented, "Please don't insult snivelling developmentally disabled functioning retards by comparing them to anti-gunners."

Other commenters were labelled "faggots" and "homos" by pro-gun activists Adler Smith and Eric Fanning of Oregon City, Oregon.

One pro-gun activist, James Sarah, had a warning for children. He told a commenter, "Keep your children out of Starbucks. I go in to enjoy a cup of coffee and read a paper. It is very disturbing to have some snot nosed little brats running around and making all sorts of noise. My hand gun has never made a peep in Starbucks."

Pro-gun activist Ray Brower of Loveland, Colorado posted a photo of his AR-15 assault weapon and wanted everyone to know it was his "anti-socialist freedom rifle. And he was certainly not the only pro-gun activist to share gun porn on the Starbucks Facebook page. Their photos wall is covered with it. Here are some examples:













You've got to give Starbucks executives some credit, though. Their store policy might be OK for us, but they personally want no part of these guys when they're armed. "They surely know the threat to safety people carrying guns pose," says Reverend Jackie Lynn, Executive Director of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. "Why else would Starbucks ban guns from its corporate headquarters, Starbucks shareholder meetings and have a company policy forbidding employees (partners) from bringing guns to work?"

Great question.