Tag: Sandy Hook

Gun Safety Legislation, Military, National Security, Politics, Public Safety September 18, 2019January 7, 2020

Are Gun Deaths Higher in States Without Common Sense Gun Laws? Yes, Indeed!

Washington (GGM) Analysis | September 18, 2019
by Noreen Wise

There are many states who began passing common sense gun legislation to curb gun violence and are now experiencing the benefits. Lives have been saved. Communities are safer. Thus, it’s very clear why more than 90% of Americans are demanding that local, state and federal legislators do something.

Diving deeper to assess which states have passed which bills, it soon becomes crystal clear that the permissive gun states that have allowed gun ownership to go unchecked, are the states with the highest gun violence deaths. This makes sense, which again is why more than 90% of Americans, many millions of whom are gun owners, are demanding action.

How can Mitch McConnell hold a blind eye to this reality? Why is Mitch McConnell suddenly saying that he can’t allow any bill that Trump won’t sign to be brought to the floor for a vote? This is illogical and unconstitutional. The Legislative Branch is separate from the Executive and McConnell is at the helm of the Senate in the Legislative Branch. Going rogue and eliminating a vital check & balance, especially when it comes to the safety and protection of the American people, should be grounds for having him removed as Senate Majority Leader.

Connecticut is an excellent example of passing common sense gun laws that have served residents well and saved thousands of lives.

The Sandy Hook massacre of 20 innocent first graders and 6 adults occurred on December 14, 2012
In idyllic Newtown, Connecticut
On April 3, 2014…. less than 4 months after the traumatizing horror, the bipartisan state legislature passed sweeping gun reform
State Permit is required to purchase both long guns and hand guns
Registration is required through Department of Emergency and Public Protection for log guns & handguns, gun tracked by authorization number and DPS-3-C form
Partial ban on assault rifles: no new sales/purchases of assault rifles; banned ARs already owned, must be registered, if owner wants to sell AR, can only sell to licensed gun dealer

Magazine Capacity Restriction: any magazine that holds greater than 10 rounds is considered an LCM (Large Capacity Magazine); all LCMs were banned when new law went into effect, cannot be sold or transferred; existing owners had to register LMs by
Permit Required for Concealed Carry: owner must meet requirements, and abide by two-step process, first, 60-day temporary permit issued by local authorities, Second, 5 year permit issued by DESPP
Permit Required for Open Carry: MUST have a license to open carry
Vehicle Carry: Must have valid pistol permit to carry loaded gun in car, otherwise must be unloaded and firearm and ammunition stored in separate locked containers; if car left unattended, firearm must be locked in trunk or glove box
Castle Doctrine: not the exact same as “stand your ground,” but if intruder enters home or yard and owner has permit and “reasonable force,” courts provide civil immunity
Background Checks: required for private party transfer and must be performed by federally licensed dealer
Red Flag Law: allows police to obtain a court warrant and seize guns from anyone posing a risk to others or themselves once they investigate and determine probable cause

Connecticut’s sweeping common sense gun laws are some of the most reasonable and effective in the country and serve as a very sensible model to follow. In 2019, Connecticut ranks in the top 5 states with the lowest number of gun deaths per capita.

Hawaii
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New York
Connecticut

The top 5 states with the highest number of per capita gun deaths are five red states with permissive gun laws:

Alaska – most permissive gun ownership in country, must be 21, complete handgun competency course, no permit required to carry, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Montana – must be 18, open & concealed carry legal without permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Alabama – must be 18, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry legal without permit, concealed carry needs pistol permit, Castle Doctrine, done
Louisiana – must be 17, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, concealed carry is legal with a permit, open carry requires no permit, Castle Doctrine, that’s it
Missouri – must be 19, no permit or background check or registration required for private sales, open carry and concealed carry both legal without permit, but gun owners can obtain a concealed carry permit (CCP) if they’d like one, local authorities are able to restrict in certain locations, Castle Doctrine, done

The Connecticut common sense gun laws respect the 2nd Amendment, while simultaneously protecting the American public’s expectation to live in a safe community. Colt is headquartered in Connecticut, and yet these bipartisan common sense gun laws passed in record time following the Sandy Hook massacre.

If more than 90% of the American public are demanding common sense gun laws, and the data proves the effectiveness, it doesn’t make sense to sit on the sidelines and hold a blind eye to such convincing proof that common sense gun laws save lives, maybe your own.

National Security, Public Safety April 23, 2019September 3, 2019

What’s the Progress on S66 Assault Weapons Ban?

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | April 23, 2019) – With the horror of 320 lives lost on Easter day, in coordinated attacks by ISIS across Sri Lanka in Christian churches and high end hotels, we have just learned that the slaughter was in retaliation of the New Zealand Mosque massacre by a white supremacist on March 15, 2019. Will this now morph into an epic see-saw battle that rages on for years? A never ending pendulum of attacks against soft targets all over the globe? What positive outcome has an eye-for-an-eye ever netted?

In light of this possibility actually occurring, it’s time for the American public to refocus our commitment on Common Sense gun laws.

January 9, 2019 Senator Diane Feinstein introduced S66, the Assault Weapons Ban 2019. It was quickly referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), where it has since languished for three and a half months, untouched.

This is a call to action to move forward with the Assault Weapons Ban. It’s imperative that the senate take American safety seriously. The Department of Homeland Security is in disarray following the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen, and is now without an official secretary. Further, the agency has apparently narrowed, and redefined, it’s main purpose, now focusing its attention primarily on Southern Border security, leaving the impression that there are significant swaths of our national security that aren’t being properly monitored, specifically domestic terrorism and the white supremacist threat. These bad actors are seemingly the ones most inclined to rely on assault weapons as their preferred weapon of choice.

The best way to neutralize the white nationalist/white supremacist threat is to pass Common Sense gun legislation. Both the Background Check Bill HR8 and the Assault Weapons Ban 2019 S66 are stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

It only takes 60 seconds for each of us to call our two Senators and demand that S66 and HR8 be scheduled for debate in May.

Guns, Legislative Branch, National Security, Public Safety February 25, 2019April 24, 2019

HR8 |Background Check House Vote Feb 27, 2019

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | February 25, 2019) – Following HR8’s approval by the Judiciary Committee on February 13, 2019, the Committee has moved one step further in bringing HR8 to the House floor for a full vote this week, barring any unforeseen political conflicts. However, Capitol Hill promises to be a turbulent landscape in the upcoming days, with Representatives being pulled in many important directions. Thus, timing the HR8 vote is critical. We need all the sponsors and supporters to be present for the vote, which will hopefully take place on Thursday, February 28, 2019, the 25 year anniversary of The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the original background check bill) which went into effect on February 28, 1994. Interestingly, the initial background check legislation was first introduced in Congress by NY Representative Chuck Schumer in 1991.

The next few days on the Hill appear extremely busy:

TUESDAY Feb 26 – House vote to nullify Trump’s national emergency
- House Rules Committee Hearing on Migrant Family Separation Policy
- House Financial Services Committee Hearing with Credit Bureau CEO’s testifying
WEDNESDAY Feb 27 – Oversight Committee public hearing with Michael Cohen on Wednesday February 27, which may be the most significant event of the year if the Mueller report isn’t shared with the public
- Full House Vote on HR8 Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019

HR8 now has 232 bipartisan co-sponsors. The significant bipartisan support for the bill stems from 97% of the American public believing strongly that background checks should be required for every single gun sale. Background checks protect the public from those who seek gun ownership with ill intent. HR8 advocates simultaneously believe in the Second Amendment, and do support the right to bear arms, yet understand that common sense gun legislation makes sense. The success of our democracy stems from the fact that it’s stabilized by the rule of law. Borders and boundaries are essential. Evil exists in the world. The first three words of the Second Amendment clearly state: “A well regulated…”

HR8 | Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 Explained: On January 8, 2019 Representative Mike Thompson of California’s 5th District introduced HR8. This simple, common sense gun bill is very basic : To require a background check for every firearm sale. The current background check bill has several significant loopholes that have proven deadly. Guns sold at gun shows, and guns sold among family and friends, currently do not require background checks.

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires that before a firearm is purchased through a federally licensed dealer, manufacturer or importer, a background check must be performed. There are a list of nine prohibitions that would prevent approval. The operative words in the Brady Bill are “federally licensed.” Since the majority of sellers at gun shows, and on the streets, as well as family and friends, aren’t federally licensed, a loophole was soon exploited by those falling under the following nine prohibitions:

fugitive from justice
convicted in any court for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison
dishonorably discharged from military
illegal alien
user or addicted to a controlled substance
renounced citizenship
has a restraining order against them
domestic violence, convicted in any court of misdemeanor crime
in a mental institution or adjudicated as mentally defective

HR8 eliminates these existing loopholes, making it far more difficult for those who plot to harm the American public to succeed. The Second Amendment was intended for self-protection, not public annihilation.

CALL to ACTION: Contact your Congressional Representative TODAY to let them know: Yes to HR8.

https://www.house.gov/representatives | Search by name or state, must click the correct box. If not sure of Representative’s name, use the search box on top right of page
Text CHECKS to 644-33

Legislative Branch, National Security, Russia, Trump February 21, 2019March 3, 2019

2012 GOP Emails | Have these been investigated? The prababilties

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Perspective | February 21, 2019) – With the Mueller Investigation ending as soon as next week, and with the recent understanding that the GOP emails hacked by Russia but never released, were likely used to blackmail GOP leaders, particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and should be investigated. It seems that the most likely GOP emails hacked by Russia, emails that would make ideal blackmail material, are the ones from 2012, in addition to the time leading up to 2012 and year following.

On January 10, 2017 – FBI Director James Comey informed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that in the spring of 2016, at the same time the DNC email servers were penetrated by Russian hackers, the RNC was also hacked, along with state level GOP organizations. Apparently, the RNC intrusion was an older server that was no longer in use, thus the emails mined were dated earlier than those confiscated from the DNC. No dates were shared with the public during Comey’s Intelligence hearing, other than Comey using phrases such as “not current” and “old stuff,” implying that the email dates were prior to January 2015. Coming using the words “state level GOP organizations” seems to imply GOP organizations connected with the presidential election, since these emails might be particularly inviting to Russian hackers, something we can identify with following the GOP stunts we learned of during the 2018 midterm elections.

Since the public is now fully aware of Russia’s laser-focus on U.S. presidential elections, it seems logical to hypothesize that Russia would hit pay dirt mining GOP servers from 2012 during Obama’s re-election campaign. In fact, Mitch McConnell appeared to be on a one-man mission to make “Obama a one-term president.” Further, 2012 was a very turbulent year, filled with numerous heart-wrenching tragedies that kept the American public riveted on the presidential candidate’s reactions to these emotional headlines as well as other big-named congressional leader’s responses.

If Russia wanted to blackmail GOP leaders, would they target Mitch McConnell? Yes, of course. Would they begin their search by Googling every major news headline of 2012, along with the search words “Mitch McConnell” and see what comes up? And then hunt for emails that add new meaning to the headlines? Most likely.

So what were the biggest news stories of 2012? Can Representative Adam Schiff of the House Intelligence Committee meet with the FBI behind closed doors to sift through these emails. Apparently, the FBI knows the dates of the stolen emails.

The following are several of the top 2012 new headlines that help paint a picture of what types of GOP emails Russian hackers may have uncovered during their deep dive into the RNC servers and several state GOP Orginizations servers:

Aurora theater massacre, July 20, 2012 |New York Magazine July 20, 2012, Twelve Killed, Dozens Injured in Midnight Massacre at Dark Knight Rises Premier in Colorado [Updated] – “…’We were maybe 20 or 30 minutes into the movie and all you hear, first you smell smoke, everybody thought it was fireworks or something like that, and then you just see people dropping and the gunshots are constant,’ said witness Christ Jones, speaking to Denver ABC affiliate KMGH. ‘I heard at least 20 to 30 rounds within that minute or two.’ Eyewitnesses described Holmes as wearing a bulletproof vest…” Were the any emails between the NRA and the GOP following this horrific massacre.
Benghazi, September 11, 2012 |The Washington Times, July 19, 2016 Mitch McConnell brushes aside boos – “CLEVELAND — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell launched an all-out assault on presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton late Tuesday and said the only way to repeal Obamacare, realign the Supreme Court and defund Planned Parenthood is to elect Donald Trump, even as members of his own caucus steer clear of the nominating festivities.Mr. McConnell brushed aside a cascade of boos from the convention hall and doled out a bit of payback for years of political jockeying with Mrs. Clinton and her famous husband, starting with their attempts to unseat him in Kentucky…” There are likely more than a million GOP emails on this subject alone.
Hurricane Sandy, October 29, 2012 |Huffington Post October 28, 2013, GOP Senators Who Opposed Sandy Relief Aid Fundraise Around One-Year Anniversary Of Storm – “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) may have opposed Hurricane Sandy recovery funding, but that reportedly did not stop them from visiting the northeast to raise money on the eve of the disastrous storm’s anniversary…”
Obama re-elected, November 6, 2012| Time August 23, 2012 “…It reveals some of my reporting on the Republican plot to obstruct President Obama before he even took office, including secret meetings led by House GOP whip Eric Cantor (in December 2008) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (in early January 2009) in which they laid out their daring (though cynical and political) no-honeymoon strategy of all-out resistance to a popular President-elect during an economic emergency. ‘If he was for it,’ former Ohio Senator George Voinovich explained, ‘we had to be against it.’ The excerpt includes a special bonus nugget of Mitt Romney dissing the Tea Party…” Millions of emails from McConnell regrading Obama. McConnell was the arch-obstructionist, Obama’s greatest nemesis.
Sandy Hook massacre, December 14, 2012 |Boston Globe, April 10, 2013, Conley hits McConnell over gun control filibuster – “Conley singled out the Republican senator from Kentucky on Tuesday and urged him to ‘stop playing games’ and allow a vote on the bill. McConnell has said that he would join a group of 13 other Republican senators to filibuster a gun control bill that Democrats plan to bring to the Senate floor Thursday.” Did Russian hackers uncover emails between the NRA, the RNC and McConnell expressing that if McConnell wanted any NRA money for his 2014 re-election campaign, he better filibuster the gun control bill, endorsed by traumatized Sandy Hook parents, that was proceeding through Congress. The majority of Americans can visualize these types of emails existing.

With the Mueller investigation concluding, Adam Schiff will now be taking the reins of investigating Russia’s meddling in our American elections, we must call congress and request that Schiff investigate the potential Russian blackmailing of GOP leaders in an effort to influence the American Legislative agenda.

Guns, Legislative Branch, National Security, Public Safety February 13, 2019September 3, 2019

HR8 Passes Judiciary Committee | 1st Time Gun Legislation Passes in Two Decades

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report) – It took all day, and well into the evening, but patience did not disappoint. HR8 was approved by the House Judiciary Committee and will now move forward to the House floor for a full vote. This typically takes place within 100 days of being approved by the Committee. We should know the outcome by early May. From there it proceeds to the Senate floor for another full vote. The Senate will be a much tougher battle of course, however, HR8 has 231 bipartisan cosponsors so there is much hope it will pass the Senate as well.

HR8 Explained: On January 8, 2019 Representative Mike Thompson of California’s 5th District introduced HR8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. This simple, common sense gun bill is very basic : To require a background check for every firearm sale.

Many more calls to Congress are necessary these next 100 days. Let’s mark our calendars now. One call per week for next 14 weeks.

CALL to ACTION: Contact your Congressional Representative TODAY to let them know: Yes to HR8.

https://www.house.gov/representatives | Search by name or state, must click the correct box. If not sure of Representative’s name, use the search box on top right of page
Text CHECKS to 644-33

Guns, Legislative Branch, National Security, Politics February 7, 2019September 22, 2019

HR8 | Bittersweet Gift Planned for February 13, 2019

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report) – Today House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler announced that the Judiciary Committee will markup HR8 next Wednesday February 13, 2019. This means the divisive committee will decide whether to amend, accept or reject HR8. With a Democratic majority, along with bipartisan support for HR8, it’s expected that the bill will be accepted and move to the House floor for a full vote by the end of May.

The markup for HR8 will be taking place the day before the tragic one year anniversary of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Wednesday February 14, 2018, when seventeen innocent MSJ students were slaughtered at school. Hundreds of survivors became a powerful force, uniting millions of students around the country to let their legislators know that enough is enough. No more thoughts and prayers, they would only accept action, kicking off the forceful March For Our Lives movement that helped fuel the blue wave on November 6, 2018.

HR8 Explained: On January 8, 2019 Representative Mike Thompson of California’s 5th District introduced H.R. 8: Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019. This simple, common sense gun bill is very basic : To require a background check for every firearm sale.

CALL to ACTION: Contact your Congressional Representative TODAY to let them know: Yes to HR8.

https://www.house.gov/representatives | Search by name or state, must click the correct box. If not sure of Representative’s name, use the search box on top right of page
Text CHECKS to 644-33

Guns, Legislative Branch, National Security, Public Safety February 1, 2019September 4, 2019

Assault Weapons Ban of 2019

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report) – The one year anniversary of the slaughter of 17 innocent lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2018 is two weeks away. Dozens of traumatized young survivors channeled their anguish and anger into a powerful force that propelled the American public to demand action from our elected representatives and pass common sense gun laws that respect the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, but also acknowledge and honor the second and third words of the 2nd Amendment, “well regulated” … the very words that make it all work in our free and open society.

In the past 12 months, numerous states have responded to the public outcry of “enough is enough.” Common sense gun laws relating to background checks, concealed carry permits, and assault rifles are working their way through state legislatures from coast to coast. Red Flags laws have also begun passing in states.

On January 9, 2019, Senior Senator Dianne Feinstein of California again Sponsored and Introduced S. 66: Assault Weapons Ban of 2019. This is a bill “to regulate assault weapons, to ensure that the right to keep and bear arms is not unlimited, and for other purposes.”

Earlier versions of Assault Weapons Ban were introduced on November 8, 2017, following theOctober 2, 2017 Las Vegas slaughter of 58 using an assault rifle, and on March 14, 2013, three months after the world-altering Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre of 28 elementary school students and several teachers. If these shockingly vicious annihilations didn’t wake-up our representatives, we can’t give up… we simply must try harder. Case in point, the shutdown outrage became so forceful, that it even brought Mitch McConnell back to life.

The next step for the Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 is to be considered by the judiciary committee. Unbelievably, the bill only has a 3% chance of being enacted.

There are 28 Democrat co-sponsors of the ban, all 28 joined the day it was introduced. There are no GOP sponsors.

S. 66: Assault Weapons Ban of 2019 co-sponsors: