NYPD: Cops Shooter Arrested by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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A South Ozone Park man who allegedly shot at 106th Precinct officers was captured and arrested last week, police officials said.

Raheem Cox, 23, allegedly fired multiple gunshots as he fled from the officers on 111th Avenue in South Ozone Park on Jan. 29, police said. No officers were hurt.

Cox was charged with attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, criminal possession of a loaded firearm and resisting arrest, according to the NYPD.

Police said they noticed Cox acting suspiciously while they were on a routine patrol of the area around 128th Street and 111th Avenue. When officers drove by him, he allegedly changed direction while walking, police said.

Cox allegedly ignored police when they made a U-turn and asked what he was doing, prompting the officers to ask him to stop. An NYPD spokesman said the individual then produced a black firearm from his waistband and fired multiple shots at the officers.

The cops then returned fire, police said. Cox was not hurt.

Police said they recovered a .22 caliber revolver at the scene.

Gunshow Undercover - Arizona - A Project of the City of New York

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Just two weeks after the tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, private investigators went to a gun show in Phoenix, Arizona -- one of thousands of such shows that occur across the country every year -- to test two basic questions:

How easy is it to buy a gun without a background check?

• Answer: In a matter of minutes, an investigator purchased a Glock 9 millimeter and two high capacity magazines, similar to the weapon used by Jared Loughner, without background checks.

And, would unlicensed sellers sell guns to people who said they probably could not pass a background check?

• Answer: Yes. An undercover investigator purchased two 9 millimeter pistols from two different sellers, even after the investigator told the sellers that "I probably couldn't pass a background check."

Private gun sales, like those at gun shows, occur with no background checks, and provide a dangerous loophole that fuels the interstate and international market for illegal guns. These loopholes in our system make it too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.

You can also watch videos from the 2009 Gun Show Undercover Investigation where 19 of 30 private sellers - 63% - broke the law by completing a sale to a buyer who they thought could not pass a background check.


Sign the petition:
http://www.gunshowundercover2009.org.

At a gun show in Phoenix , Arizona on January 23, 2011, an undercover investigator bought a Glock 9mm similar to the one used by the shooter in Tucson 15 days before and three 33-round extended magazines, no questions, no background check.

It is illegal for a dealer to sell a gun to someone they suspect could not pass a background check. Watch what private sellers at a Phoenix, Arizona gun show did when an undercover investigator said he probably couldn't pass a background check.

It is illegal for a dealer to sell a gun to someone they suspect could not pass a background check. Watch what private sellers at a Phoenix, Arizona gun show did when an undercover investigator said he probably couldn't pass a background check.

NY's Gillibrand Hailed by Brady Gun Control Group - The Associated Press

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New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been endorsed for election by a leading gun control group two years after earning a top rating from the National Rifle Association.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence notes Gillibrand had been an NRA favorite when she was an upstate congresswoman in a Republican district. But the group says in less than two years as an appointed U.S. senator she has become a leader in sensible gun laws.

Gillibrand was appointed to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate seat last year after Clinton was named secretary of state. She accepted the Brady endorsement Thursday, saying it reflects her opposition to illegal guns and her efforts to combat gun violence.

Polls show Gillibrand with wide leads over GOP candidates Bruce Blakeman, David Malpass and Joseph DioGuardi.

Assemblyman Lancman Passes Legislation To Keep Guns Out Of The Hands Of Domestic Violence Perpetrators

“Domestic violence offenders have no business purchasing or possessing a firearm, which they could use to further terrorize their families. Statistics show that over one-third of all women homicide victims are killed with a gun by their male partners,” said Assemblyman Lancman.

A recent study found that one in four women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime, and nearly three out of four Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.[1] Here in New York State, approximately 450,000 domestic incidents are reported annually to police departments.[2]

“New York is one of the safest states in the nation and it must stay that way. To achieve this, we must support laws that prevent violent persons from possessing weapons,” Assemblyman Lancman said. “Victims of domestic violence often have close, personal relationships with their abusers, and that is why they need special laws to protect them from additional physical, emotional and financial violence.”

The other bills passed in the Assembly’s domestic violence package would:

• Prohibit employers from discriminating against victims of domestic violence or stalking committed by a member of the same family or household; the legislation also includes a right for the domestic violence victim to a reasonable accommodation from the employer of unpaid leave to deal with legal and medical issues relating to the domestic incident (A.9018-A);

• Prohibit housing discrimination against domestic violence victims by forbidding landlords and sellers of property from denying an individual the right to purchase, rent, lease or inhabit housing because of involvement in a domestic dispute (A.9020-A);

• Require criminal or family court judges to inquire about the defendant’s or respondent’s ownership or possession of a firearm when orders of protection are sought (A.4320-A);

• Establish the “Address Confidentiality Program” for domestic violence victims, by authorizing the secretary of state to accept service of process for victims of domestic violence and their children (A.10180);

• Allow domestic abuse victims who have an order of protection to obtain an unlisted telephone number without charge (A.6509-A);

• Expand the class of domestic violence victims who may cast special ballots (similar to absentee ballots) in elections to include non-relatives and individuals who have suffered emotional harm at the hand of an abuser (A.3910-A).

Another important piece of legislation that passed the Assembly earlier this year requires orders of protection issued in family court to be translated into the native language of the individuals (A.5273-A). This will allow non-English speaking individuals and those with a hearing impairment the opportunity to better understand what was reported in court. Other measures in the package passed today will:

• Strengthen orders of protection by authorizing family courts to extend an order for victims who are afraid of recurring violence upon a showing of good cause, even if there has not been an actual recurrence of violence (A.6195-A);

• Clarify the expiration date to indicate that the date of sentencing, not conviction, be used to determine the expiration date of an order of protection issued in relation to a family offense (A.8807-B); and

• Provide that orders of protection can’t be denied solely on the basis that the alleged abuse was not simultaneous with the date of the application (A.8393-A).

To further help victims of domestic abuse, the Assembly passed a bill Assemblyman Lancman supported that would expose individuals or parties who fail to obey or enforce an order of protection to joint liability for all non-economic damages sought by a claimant, after a fact-finding by a judge or jury (A.5516). The measure re-enforces New York’s zero-tolerance policy about domestic violence.

NYC Buy-Back Nets 919 Guns - New York Post

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New York City officials say 919 guns were collected during a one-day buy-back program at six Queens churches.

The program paid $200 to anyone who turned in a gun. A pellet or BB gun was worth $20. The officials say they paid a total of $158,880.

The weekend buy-back results were announced Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Since last summer, similar programs in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island - plus the Queens effort - have netted more than 3,500 guns. More than half of them are handguns.

The goal is to reduce crime and tragic accidents.

2009 Queens South Cash for Guns Program - Saturday February 21st 10 am - 4 pm - Various Locations

Click on images to enlarge

Press Release: New Yorkers Against Gun Violence & GunFreeKids.org

Gun Violence Prevention Supporters Help Lead the Way to Historic Majority in the State Senate

(New York): New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and GunFreeKids.org endorsed the winners in two important Senate races this week: Joseph Addabbo beating Senator Serphin Maltese of Queens and Brian Foley, besting Senator Caesar Trunzo in Suffolk County. In the run up to Tuesday's election, gun violence prevention advocates rated candidates for the State Senate and Assembly and endorsed nearly three dozen. In these two high profile Senate races, the NRA-endorsed candidates - long-time incumbents both lost, thus opening the door for new leadership in the State Senate. In the Assembly, nineteen of our endorsed incumbents won re-election. Three of the incumbents prevailed despite challengers who had received "A" ratings and support from the NRA.

Jackie Hilly, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, said: "The law abiding citizens of New York State have spoken. They are tired of the non-sense and inaction of the State Senators like Maltese and Trunzo who along with their many of their colleagues have stood in the way of sensible gun legislation in New York. With their departure, New Yorkers can now expect the Senate to take action on legislation that has lingered for far long. Microstamping, gun dealer regulation and employee background checks for gun dealer employees are all important bills to help law enforcement officers throughout the state We need to give our law enforcement officers all the tools they need to investigate, arrest and prosecute criminals who use illegal weapons "

The State Senate now has a majority of members who understand the need for sensible gun legislation. Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of GunFreeKids.org, said "The results from Tuesday's election send a clear signal that it won't be business as usual in the State Senate come January. In the past, advocates watched helplessly as strong gun violence prevention measures would pass in the Assembly, only to fail to see the light of day in the Senate. We are now optimistic that new leadership will take on the state's gun problem instead of cowering to the gun lobby."

Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "We now look forward to passing legislation to help keep dangerous guns out of the hands of dangerous people."

The list of endorsed candidates and the legislative scorecard can be found on each organizations' website (www.nyagv.org) and (www.gunfreekids.org).

# # #

5-year-old Queens Girl Recovering After Gang Shooting by Colleen Long -- Newsday.com

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A 5-year-old girl walking with her parents along a residential street in a neighborhood rife with gang-related violence was shot in the back after she was caught in a rumble, police said Tuesday.

The girl suffered a collapsed lung and was hospitalized in stable condition after the incident Monday evening in the Ridgewood neighborhood in Queens.

About 10 members of the notorious Bloods gang walked up behind the family, possibly to brawl with members of a rival gang known as the Trinitarios, police said.

The girl's father saw a man on a stoop in front of them draw a machete, and he started to run for cover with the family when the girl was struck in the back, police said.

A 28-year-old man also was wounded in the shooting and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said at least two guns were used in the attack.

There have been previous gang disputes between the Bloods and its offshoots and the Trinitarios in the area and in bordering neighborhoods, Kelly said. Additional police patrols have been set up, and detectives and narcotics officers are watching the area.

"The gang division is focused on that area," Kelly said.

Police arrested a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy who supposedly are members of the Trinitarios and were involved in the dispute. Police said they believe a member of the Bloods gang shot the girl, but they didn't release the person's identity.

Crime remains 3 percent lower this year than last year, but there was a slight increase in crime from last year in the three precincts where the gang violence is occurring, police statistics show.

The New York Post reported last week that a new offshoot of the Bloods gang known as the Pretty Boy Goonies has been clashing with the Trinitarios since September, fighting for turf in Rodney Park under the Brooklyn- Queens Expressway near the Williamsburg Bridge, not far from Ridgewood.

City Councilwoman Diana Reyna said the groups have been fighting in broad daylight, wielding machetes and screwdrivers. The Trinitarios are a Dominican gang, and the Bloods were founded in Los Angeles.

Police Searching For Suspect After Double Shooting In Queens - NY1

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Police are searching for a gunman after a man and a young girl were shot in Queens last night.

According to police, two groups of men were arguing on Himrod Street in Ridgewood shortly before 9:30 p.m., when shots were fired.

A five-year-old girl was shot in the back. Police say she had been walking with her father when she was hit.

A 27-year-old man was shot in the leg.

One local resident said now he's afraid for the safety of his kids.

"I'm going to be thinking twice about being outside. Because that little girl got shot and she was probably just playing outside," said the local. "It's scary; it really is."

Both victims were taken to the hospital.

New York State Senator Serphin Maltese’s Voting Record and Positions on Guns - Gun Free Kids.org

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New York State Senator Serphin Maltese’s Voting Record and Positions on Guns

In 2008, Sen. Maltese declined an opportunity to sponsor legislation to assist law enforcement in their efforts to solve gun-related crimes. The legislation, passed by the Assembly as A.9819-A), would mandate that all new semi-automatic pistols manufactured, sold or brought into New York State be equipped with microstamping technology to aid law enforcement in solving gun-related crimes.

Other Important NY Senate Votes:

1997 (S.5498) 5-year renewable handgun permits for Westchester County. Supported by GunFreeKids

Maltese voted NO (bill passed Senate and signed into law)

1998 (S.397) Would make it easier to obtain a concealed carry weapon permit. Opposed by GunFreeKids

Maltese Voted YES (bill passed by the Senate only)

2000 (S.8234) Nine measures, including assault weapons ban, ballistic imaging, closing of gun show loophole, age 21 to possess or own handgun, safety locks to be sold with all guns and 24 hour reporting of all lost & stolen guns. Supported by GunFreeKids

Maltese, only member of NYC delegation to VOTE NO (bill passed by both houses and signed into law)

2003/2004 Session (S.3805). Increased penalties for possession and trafficking. Supported by GunFreeKids

Maltese voted YES. (unanimous vote, passed by both houses and signed into law).

Gun Lobby Ratings:

Received “A” rating from the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association in 2006

Gun Violence Prevention Groups Endorse New York State Senate Candidates - Joe Addabbo Endorsed in SD-15 Race | NewsLI.com

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Three major gun violence prevention organizations today announced their endorsements in several New York State Senate races. New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV), GunFreeKids.org, and The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence along with its Million Mom March Chapters work together to help protect New Yorkers from the threat of gun violence and support candidates who support strong gun laws. The endorsed candidates announced today include three incumbents and three challengers.

“The three incumbents we endorse today have been strong leaders in the fight to enact life-saving legislation,” said Jackie Hilly, Executive Director of NYAGV. “New York State needs more Senators that share their ideals and will work hard for sensible gun laws. We can make a real difference in the fight against gun violence when our elected officials work with us to remove illegal weapons from New York communities.”

“For nearly eight years, the leadership in the State Senate has blocked almost every piece of common-sense gun legislation passed by the Assembly,” said Andy Pelosi, President of GunFreeKids.org. “It’s time for good policy to trump politics in the State Senate.”

This year microstamping and improved gun dealer regulations – both important law enforcement tools to help investigate and pursue crime guns and the criminals who use them – are at the top of the groups’ agendas. In 2008, the State Assembly passed both bills, but the Senate refused to act.

“We make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons, and these candidates will fight for common sense gun laws to help keep our children and our families safe,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign.

The Endorsed State Senate Candidates Are:

Brian Foley, Third Senate District (Long Island)
Senator Malcolm Smith, 14th Senate District (Queens)
Joseph Addabbo, Jr., 15th Senate District (Queens)
Senator Eric Schneiderman, 31st Senate District (Manhattan/Bronx)
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, 35th Senate District (Westchester)
Rick Dollinger, 56th Senate District (Greater Rochester)

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence (NYAGV) is a statewide advocacy group working to build public awareness of the devastating impact of gun violence in New York and across the country, while advocating for sensible gun legislation on the city, state and federal levels. Visit NYAGV at www.NYAGV.org

GunFreeKids.org is working to help empower voters in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and other states to participate in gun violence prevention activities in their communities and to support state-based candidates who favor strong gun laws. Find out more at www.GunFreeKids.org

As the nation’s largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

Visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org.

CM Addabbo, Taxi Workers Alliance Shooting Victim and Mothers Against Guns Condemn Recent Gun Violence, Calls for Tougher State Regulations

Applaud Mayor’s Efforts to Remove Illegal Guns from NYC Streets

Call for Tougher State Regulation of Guns

In the wake of three recent crimes committed at gunpoint, Councilman Joe Addabbo will join with the Queens based group Mothers Against Guns (MAG), the Taxi Workers Alliance (TWA), and cab driver Enois Malbranche, who was shot and blinded on August 7th to condemn the rash of violence and call for tougher gun restrictions. On August 22^nd a cab driver in Elmhust was shot in the face, on Monday, August 25^th a woman was robbed and raped at gunpoint in Ozone Park, and on August 27^th a cab driver was assaulted in the Bronx. In New York violence persists while state laws remain lax. The Republican lead Senate has repeatedly failed to take adequate measures to regulate guns end the cycle of violence.

WHO: CM Joe Addabbo, Mothers Against Guns, Taxi Workers Alliance, and Enois Malbranche (injured cab driver)

WHAT: CM Addabbo and Groups Rally Against Gun Violence and Call for Tougher Gun Laws

WHERE: Blue Lane Car Service
104-19 99th Street
Ozone Park, NY

WHEN: Thursday, August 28^th, 1:30 pm

State Legislators Convene Emergency Citywide Summit in Response to Recent Shootings : NewsLI.com

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State and local elected legislators today joined law enforcement officials and community leaders for an emergency meeting in Harlem to discuss strategies to “stop the violence” following a rash of neighborhood shooting incidents across the city that left several dead and many wounded.

During the past three months there have been several dozen shootings taking the lives of several teenagers and left many wounded. The meeting was called after the random shootings in Harlem, the Rockaways, Jackson Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.

State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D-St. Albans) said that the Summit was especially necessary because “we are losing a battle much greater than any one official.”

“We as public officials, clergy, and community leaders must take a more aggressive approach to coming up with solutions to stop the growing gun violence on our city streets,” said Senator Smith, one of the event’ organizers.

Law enforcement officials presented crime status reports on recent shooting incidents and steps being taken to stop the violence. Officials and community leaders exchanged ideas during the roundtable discussion and developed an immediate action plan.

Participants in today’s roundtable discussion announced the creation of ‘Operation SNUG’, the word ‘guns’ spelled backwards.

This initiative will consist of:

S treet intervention and stopping the violence

• violence interrupters
• support for police and law enforcement

N ational state local funding support

• funding for all alternatives
• legislation that can help implement solutions

U se of celebrities and centers

• public relations and materials
• existing community centers, new bunkers and community offices

G angs, guns, gainful employment

• real-world gang awareness and prevention initiatives
• connections to employment and economic alternatives

There will be four meetings held to follow up on the initiative’s progress, one for each point.

Governor David Paterson said, “Gun violence is one of the most serious issues facing our city and state. Innocent lives - too often children - are ended because of trivial disputes and carelessness. I applaud Senator Smith for bringing together some of the leaders in the fight to get gun off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.”

Meeting organizers included Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith; State Senators Bill Perkins(D-Harlem), John Sabini (D-Jackson Heights), Eric Adams(D-Brooklyn), ranking member of the Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee; Assemblymen Keith Wright (D-Harlem) and Darryl Towns (D-Brooklyn), leader of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.

In Brooklyn, 44 shootings within the past three months occurred in the Brooklyn South division of the Police Department officials said, including at woman being shot in the hip. In that case, police arrested and charged an unidentified 32-year-old man.

“The recent escalation in the number of shooting incidents impels responsible legislators to promulgate an action plan to combat the scourge of gun violence,” said Senator Adams. “The voices of our constituents call for the prevention of such tragedies; in my own district there has been impassioned outcry from all ethnic and economic groups.”

While police have made some arrests, several murder suspects remain at-large because witnesses have refused to come forward.

Senator Adams said that it was “imperative” for elected and community leaders to collaborate on reaching solutions “to make our city a safer place.”

“The criminals who wound and murder our fellow citizens make a mockery of our outrage over the Sean Bell shooting and cripple our efforts to prevent a repetition of the terrible incident,” said Senator Adams, a retired New York City Police Officer. The bullet from an illegal weapon pierces not only the flesh of our loved ones, but the emotional body of our family as well. Even the substance of the larger community is wounded. We must protect our citizens from the disastrous effects of gun crimes.”

In Far Rockaway, one week after teenagers Brandon Bethea and Tyreece Johnson were fatally shot in two separate incidents, eight individuals were wounded during the Memorial Day holiday weekend in Harlem.

Senator Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan) said: This latest explosion of gun violence reminds us that we must be vigilant in getting guns off the street and out of the hands of the wrong people. We have to focus on finding, arresting, prosecuting and convicting those responsible for brining and distributing these guns in our communities. We have to cut off the supply. It is going to require all of us- growing problem. We need more police protection without harassment. We need more training, education, and employment opportunities. We have to provide parenting, social and anger management skills. Something we all can do is…-WHEN WE SEE A GUN, WE HAVE TO CALL 911. These are some of many measures that need to be taken if we are going to seriously put an end to gun violence.”

Charles Fisher, chairman of the Harlem-based Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council, Inc. said that his organization has partnered with corporations and media outlets “to implement initiatives to address the drugs, illegal guns, and growing gun violence that is plaguing our communities.”

“With the closing of youth centers, along with gas, food, unemployment, and foreclosures on the rise, it’s going to be tough on us all for a while, especially our youth and young adults,” Fisher said. “We have to let our youth know that we are serious to help stop the violence.”

The citywide Summit in Harlem follows a similar meeting at the Redfern Houses community center in Far Rockaway several weeks ago where Smith, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, Assemblywomen Michele Titus (D-Far Rockaway), Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone/Rockaway Beach), City Councilman James Sanders (D-Far Rockaway), and community leaders met to construct a plan to stop violence in the area. The group’s action plan included securing public funds to put up video surveillance cameras, opening up the shuttered community center, and putting additional police manpower on the streets.

Also in attendance at today’s meeting were: Congressmen Charles Rangel (D-Manhattan) and Gregory W. Meeks (D-Jamaica/Far Rockaway); Assembly Member Herman D. Farrell, Jr (D-Manhattan); Council Members John Liu (D-Flushing), Inez Dickens (D-Manhattan); State Committee Member Theresa Freeman; New York Police Department Chief Raymond Diaz, Manhattan North and Chief Thomas Dale, Queens South; Marques Claxton, 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement; Anthony Miranda, National Latino Officers Association of America; Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney; Charles Billops, Grand Council of Guardians; Jean Corbett Parker, Harlem Mothers SAVE; Dr. Candice Kane CeaseFire Chicago; among others.

Additional statements were issued:

“The rise is gun violence is devastating communities around our city,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “With crime going down across the board citywide, it’s completely unacceptable that neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn and parts of Harlem are being left behind. It’s time for officials at every level of government to come together and figure out how to make these tragic incidents as rare as possible.”

Photo: State Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith

Bob Geiger's Saturday Cartoon Roundup ...4/28/2007

Go to original cartoons...

Mark Fiore Animation...Gun Crazy...4/25/2007

Mark Fiore's latest animation...Gun Crazy ...

WorkingForChange-This Modern World: Convenient conclusions...

This Modern World: Convenient conclusions

Welcome to Pottersville... Frank Rich: Iraq Is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac... & Jurasssicpork: Oh, This is Rich...

Frank Rich and Jurassicpork both hit the mark on Bush's photo-op at Virginia Tech...

Welcome to Pottersville: Frank Rich: Iraq Is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac

Welcome to Pottersville: Oh, This is Rich.

Welcome to Pottersville is an excellent site to read NY Times columnists behind the pay wall...

Crooks and Liars: Junior Soprano Writes Cheney a Letter...

Check out this clip from CrooksandLiars.com ...

Mayor Mike Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is by Co-founding ProtectPolice.org...

My heart goes out to the victims and the families of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech University, I only hope that their sorrow can serve to wake-up Americans to the dangers of hand guns.

I commend Mayor Bloomberg and other national mayors who have united with many local and state police organizations to get illegal hand guns off our streets.

Mayor Bloomberg, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and several other Ohio mayors joined last week to sign onto a national coalition seeking to curb illegal gun sales - Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

ProtectPolice.org is a project of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 160 mayors in more than 40 states. Mayors Against Illegal Guns is dedicated to making America's cities safer by cracking down on illegal guns.

To the Mayor's credit he has put his money where his mouth is by co-founding the brand new campaign, designed to let the public know what the NRA is trying to do to our police officers in Congress.


Radical NRA-supporters in Congress are working hard to try and pass the Tiahrt Amendment, which would keep law enforcement officers from sharing data about where guns come from before they’re used in crimes.

”Keeping illegal guns off our streets has absolutely nothing to do with the Second Amendment or the rights of lawful gun owners,” Bloomberg said. “It’s about enforcing the law and cracking down on criminals.”

It's true, the illegal gun issue has nothing to do with the Second Amendment and everything to do with law enforcement.

Mayors have the direct responsibility to protect their communities and the police officers who put their lives on the line every day. This means working to keep guns out of the hands of criminals; imposing tough punishments on those who sell and possess illegal guns; and ensuring that police officers have the tools they need – including critical gun trace data – to do their jobs effectively. Illegal guns are firearms that are sold, bought, transferred, possessed, or used in violation of existing federal, state, and local laws, usually by those who already have criminal records.

The Tiahrt Amendment is a provision that members of the NRA-supported Congress's have tucked into federal spending bills that restricts cities and police from accessing and using Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) trace data from guns recovered in crimes.



The Tiahrt Amendment restricts local governments from accessing the ATF gun trace data they need in order to understand and address citywide and regional gun crime trends. So the amendment seriously limits the ability of cities to access their own crime gun data.

The Tiahrt Amendment prevents local governments and police from accessing ATF gun trace data from areas outside its geographic jurisdiction, greatly undermining regional efforts to control gun crime.

Cincinnati Mayor Mallory said, “Public safety is a regional issue that requires a united response...Criminals do not recognize municipal boundaries, and we need to make sure that our efforts do not stop at our individual borders either.”

The Tiahrt Amendment blocks trace data from being used as evidence in any state or local civil action—even a gun dealer license revocation. The Tiahrt Amendment also stops ATF from publishing reports that use gun trace data to analyze nationwide gun trafficking patterns.

“Plain and simple, we are trying to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” Bloomberg said. “Those criminals are killing our children and killing our police officers and it’s just got to stop.”

Therefore, I enthusiastically support the Mayor's campaign and ask that everyone reading this visit their web site www.protectpolice.org and add your voice and assistance to the Mayor's noble efforts to protect us all.