Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley unveiled his policy plan to cut gun deaths in half by 2025 this week. As one might expect from an anti-gun candidate, it’s an epic fail.
I discuss why O’Malley’s plan is so deeply misguided down below, but first check out this op-ed, entitled “My Promise on Guns, NRA,” the former Maryland governor wrote for CNN.
O’Malley Op-Ed
For far too long, Democrats have been too afraid to stand up to the gun lobby.
It’s time for that to change. If I am elected president, I will make reducing and preventing gun violence one of my 15 goals to rebuild the American dream. And right now, I am putting forward a comprehensive policy plan for cutting deaths from gun violence in half — homicides, suicides, and accidents — within 10 years.
My plan starts with expanding safeguards to all gun purchases, whether from a licensed dealer, online posting, or private sale. Under my plan, a background check would be required for each and every gun purchase. And every person seeking to purchase or transfer a gun would have to obtain a fingerprint-based license, including completing safety training and a waiting period. Without such protections, it will remain far too easy for criminals to legally buy guns.
My plan will also cut gun violence by focusing on the largest purchaser of firearms: our government. By adjusting federal procurement policies, the federal government can encourage both gun manufacturers and dealers to prevent trafficking and violence, while spurring innovations that improve gun safety. This means requiring agencies to purchase only cutting-edge guns, such as those that have hidden serial numbers that cannot be defaced.
Guns are now the second leading cause of death among children and teens, so I would take steps to require safe storage of guns at home. Because gun violence is committed disproportionately by young people, I would set a national age requirement of 21 for all handgun purchases and handgun possession. And because the U.S. is the most dangerous country in the developed world for women when it comes to gun violence, I would fight to close loopholes that allow domestic abusers to own and purchase guns.
Above all, law enforcement must be empowered to uphold these protective measures — by revoking the licenses of dealers whose guns routinely end up in the hands of criminals. And to shut down the pipeline of illegal guns that flow from states with weak gun laws to states with strong ones, we should establish strong federal penalties for gun traffickers. Possessing marijuana can be a felony under federal law; outrageously, trafficking guns is not.
Even as the vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding, we know the immense harm that comes if guns end up in the wrong hands. By establishing a national firearms registry, we can track guns to the root cause of tragedies. By requiring all lost or stolen firearms to be reported to law enforcement, we can monitor the number of illegal guns in our communities.
My comprehensive plan will not stop every senseless gun death. But it will ensure that fewer families are needlessly torn apart by gun violence.
I am not new to this fight. In 2003, seeing the epidemic of gun violence wash over my city of Baltimore when I was mayor, I called for a ban on assault weapons in our state.
In 2013, after the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, I made passing comprehensive gun safety laws my No. 1 priority as governor. The National Rifle Association launched an all-out attack: It flooded the Maryland state house and threatened state legislators, who ended up enacting the strongest gun safety laws in the nation — including the assault weapons ban I had started fighting for 10 years before.
Even today, the NRA is targeting me as a “menace” to its cause. I’ve never given in to the NRA, and I certainly won’t as president. I believe that we shouldn’t be taking gun safety advice from groups that only exist to sell more guns.
This work is more urgent than ever. Eight law enforcement officers were shot and killed in the line of duty last month. Over Labor Day weekend alone, at least 145 people were killed by gunfire, and twice as many were injured. And yet, Washington still isn’t doing anything about it.
Gun violence can be stopped. As president, I will work with anyone, from any party, with the courage to put the right policies in place to do so. We know what works. We simply need the courage and leadership to act to save lives.
The O’Malley Plan
GOAL: CUT DEATHS FROM GUN VIOLENCE—HOMICIDES, SUICIDES, AND ACCIDENTS—IN HALF BY 2025
Federally licensed firearms dealers are already required to conduct background checks in order to keep firearms out of the hands of people who have committed violent felonies or domestic abuse. While this requirement has effectively prevented more than 2.4 million prohibited people from acquiring guns, large loopholes allow others to easily purchase firearms.
Expand Background Check Protections to All Sales
The biggest and most dangerous loophole is that unlicensed sellers, who account for roughly 40 percent of all firearm sales, are not required to run background checks. Closing this loophole has been proven to save lives: In the 18 states that already require a criminal background check, the number of police officers shot and killed while on duty, the number of people who commit suicides with guns, and the number of women shot to death by their partners is nearly 50 percent lower than in other states.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Require a background check for every gun sale. O’Malley will fight for laws requiring all gun buyers to complete background checks. All private sales would be processed through a licensed dealer or law enforcement agency that completes background checks, as O’Malley required in Maryland.
- End unregulated internet gun sales. Because hundreds of thousands of guns are sold online, people who are prohibited from owning them can easily purchase guns while avoiding a background check. O’Malley will work to require all gun purchases to be completed in person through licensed dealers, who will be required to complete a background check and comply with all other safety laws.
- Strengthen background check protections. O’Malley will work end “default proceeds,” where agents have only three business days to finish background checks before the sale automatically proceeds. Law enforcement should have the time they need to complete background checks: this broken process allows more than 2,500 prohibited individualsto purchase guns annually. O’Malley will also seek to end the “Brady exemption” that allows permit holders to avoid background checks.
- Encourage states to improve information sharing. In order for background checks to be fully effective, states must provide complete and accurate data on persons prohibited from owning guns, including those with felony records and histories of domestic abuse. The Obama Administration has made important investments to support states that share information with the federal background check system. O’Malley will build on these efforts, continuing to provide critical resources to states to help them modernize recordkeeping and share critical data.
Implement Commonsense Safeguards for Gun Purchases
Beyond background checks, commonsense measures like mandatory gun licensing, waiting periods, and age restrictions have proven to dramatically reduce gun-related homicides, suicides, and trafficking. Drawing from his experience in Maryland, where under his leadership the state successfully implemented important safety measures, the Governor will fight to ensure that all Americans benefit from the same basic protections.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Enact comprehensive requirements for gun purchases, including fingerprint licensing. Building from successful reform efforts in Maryland, O’Malley will require all individuals who seek to purchase or transfer any gun to obtain a fingerprint-based license, and complete safety training with a waiting period, in addition to passing a background check. As he did in Maryland, O’Malley will extend these same requirements to private sales by requiring all sales to be completed through licensed dealers.
- Set a national age requirement for handgun possession. A full quarter of gun crimes are committed by individuals 21 years-old and younger, based on data from 13 states; and guns are used in 38 percent of suicides among young people. O’Malley will work to set a federal minimum age of 21 for handgun ownership and possession.
- Require the responsible storage of guns at home. Guns are the second leading cause of death among children and teens, and the first cause among African American children. The responsible storage of guns can prevent suicide, violence, and accidents: 70 percent of unintentional child deaths from guns happened when firearms were stored irresponsibly.
While licensed dealers are already required to make sure that gun purchasers have safety devices, there is far more to be done to ensure responsible gun storage. O’Malley will extend existing safety standards to all firearm sales. He will also issue federal rules clearly defining the gun locks and safes that meet safety standards. - Reject federally mandated concealed carry. Republicans in Congress have proposed overriding existing state laws regarding who should be able to carry concealed guns within their borders. These laws are enacted by the voters and elected representatives of each state in order to keep their neighbors safe. O’Malley will defend strong state regulations, pushing back against efforts to force every state to recognize the concealed-carry permits issued by other states. Several states’ concealed-carry laws are extraordinarily weak, granting permits to individuals who do not complete safety training, have been convicted of a violent crime, or have a demonstrated history of drug or alcohol abuse.
Protect Women from Gun Violence
America is the most dangerous country in the developed world for women when it comes to gun violence. Domestic abusers can still easily purchase and own guns, and abused women are five times more likely to be killed by their abuser if a firearm is present. Closing loopholes that allow people to buy guns from unlicensed sellers is an important first step to keeping guns out of the hands of men who abuse or stalk women. But additional action must be taken to save women’s lives.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Close the “boyfriend loophole”. People convicted of domestic violence are already prohibited from owning and purchasing guns. However, this prohibition extends only to people who are living with, married to, or have a child with the person suffering abuse—meaning that someone who is convicted of domestic violence in a dating relationship can still own and purchase guns. O’Malley supports the proposed federal legislation that would close this loophole, providing critical protections for women who are targets of dating violence. O’Malley also supports provisions that prohibit anyone convicted of stalking from owning a gun.
- Ban guns for those subject to emergency restraining orders. In addition, current law disarms only people who are under permanent restraining orders—leaving accused domestic-violence offenders who are under emergency restraining orders free to own and purchase guns. The days following the service of an emergency order of protectioncan be the most dangerous, and it can take several weeks or longer for permanent restraining orders to be imposed. O’Malley supports federal legislation that will prevent those under emergency restraining orders from purchasing or possessing a firearm for the duration of the order.
- Disarm and prosecute those who break the law. Existing bans on gun ownership for domestic abusers and stalkers are too rarely enforced. O’Malley will make it a priority to disarm those convicted of committing domestic violence, and to prosecute those who fail to comply with the law.
Expand Reporting Requirements to Help Law Enforcement Fight Gun Crime
Firearm registration helps law enforcement officers identify and prosecute violent criminals, allowing them to quickly and reliably trace firearms recovered from crime scenes. Centralized registration systems and mandatory reporting of lost and stolen firearms also deter illegal sales, while encouraging gun owners to responsibly use and store their firearms.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Establish a national firearms registry. Although firearm registration helps advance public safety, federal law actuallyprohibits creation of a national system for registering firearms. This makes tracing guns back to their sale a slow, cumbersome, or even impossible process. O’Malley will push to revise federal law to establish a comprehensive, centralized firearm registration system, where records would be maintained electronically and indefinitely. All firearms purchases would be recorded and registered at sale, and re-registered when they are resold or transferred.
- Mandate reporting to law enforcement of lost or stolen firearms. In addition, O’Malley will work to mandate that all lost or stolen firearms be reported immediately to law enforcement. These reports would be registered in the national database, helping law enforcement more quickly trace guns that are used in crimes—and identify individuals who routinely fail to report lost or stolen guns and may be trafficking firearms.
- Require microstamping for all guns. Firearms can be designed to imprint a unique alphanumeric code onto a cartridge case when it is fired. This allows law enforcement to better trace the guns used in crimes, expediting investigations and further deterring trafficking. O’Malley supports a national microstamping law.
Hold Bad Actors Accountable
Law enforcement faces additional barriers to regulating firearms dealers and preventing gun trafficking and crime. Industry-friendly laws limit federal inspections of firearm dealers and ensure toothless punishments for breaking the law. The National Rifle Association and its allies have prevented the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) from having the resources it needs to enforce our nation’s modest gun control laws. Law enforcement must have the tools required to ensure gun safety and hold bad actors accountable.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Revoke licenses when dealers break the law. The ATF is often unable to revoke the licenses of dealers who break the law because of certain restrictions and a lack of resources. Even when the agency does find serious violations, like gun sales to those who are underage, it can take one to three years for dealers to lose their licenses. Moreover, the ATF must meet the difficult standard of finding that dealers committed a violation “willfully” —even though dealers who break federal laws are a major source of trafficked firearms.
O’Malley will ensure the ATF has the funding and authority it needs to do its job and keep the American people safe. This includes revising the standard by which dealers can have their licenses revoked, and increasing follow-up so that dealers who lose their licenses do not pass on their business to friends or relatives, or continue to sell guns as unlicensed sellers. - Ensure regular and unexpected inspections of licensed dealers. Currently, ATF may conduct only one unannounced inspection of each licensed firearms dealer per year. Moreover, because of a lack of federal resources, licensed dealers are inspected only once per decade on average. O’Malley will lift the inspections cap and dedicate the necessary resources to monitoring dealers to ensure that they comply with the law.
- Increase federal penalties for gun traffickers. There is no clear and enforceable federal prohibition on gun trafficking. Rather, law enforcement uses prohibitions from selling guns without a license to go after traffickers—and the penalty imposed is the same punishment for trafficking chicken or livestock. O’Malley supports the bipartisan Senate legislation introduced this year that would make selling guns to a prohibited person a felony under federal law.
Use the Power of the Federal Purse to Advance Gun Safety
Government agencies are the largest purchaser of firearms, accounting for 40 percent of gun industry revenues. By adjusting federal procurement policies, the federal government can encourage gun manufacturers and dealers to work to prevent trafficking and gun violence, while driving innovation that advances gun safety.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- Use procurement contracts to advance gun safety. O’Malley will require manufacturers that seek federal contracts to make simple design changes that advance gun safety and improve law enforcement’s ability to trace firearms. These include hidden serial numbers that cannot be defaced, microstamping, magazine disconnect mechanisms, and other safety improvements.
Ensure Gun Manufacturers Act Responsibly
Holding gun manufacturers accountable when they contribute to gun violence can help break the pipeline through which criminals and dangerous individuals obtain and traffic guns. Yet, manufacturers have little incentive to encourage bad actors to reform: they continue to profit from dealers’ unscrupulous sales, while Congress protects them from any liability for contributing to criminal or deadly behavior.
As president, Governor O’Malley will:
- End immunity for gun manufacturers. Every state holds manufacturers accountable for producing and selling products that cause harm. But in 2005, the Republican-controlled Congress protected gun makers and dealers from most liability when their firearms are used criminally: the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act effectively wiped out gun liability laws in all 50 states. O’Malley will fight to overturn the Act, allowing states and cities to better protect their citizens from negligence, and giving victims of mass shootings the ability to hold irresponsible gun manufacturers and dealers accountable.
- Ban sale or distribution of assault weapons. Assault weapons are designed to be extraordinarily deadly. So it is no surprise that mass shootings involving assault weapons are 50 percent more deadly, resulting in 155 percent more people being shot. O’Malley will ban the sale and distribution of all military-style assault weapons, including assault pistols and long guns, as he did in Maryland. He will also ban the sale or distribution of large-capacity magazines and “cop killer” ammunition through federal regulation.
Why It’s an Epic Fail
I’ll start by saying O’Malley’s policy plan does nothing to save lives and everything to chill the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. Yes, as a gun-rights advocate I’m a bit biased in my assessment, but just think about what he’s proposing relative to the problem at hand.
Let me break it down, there are 32,000 gun deaths each year in the United States, almost two-thirds of which are suicides. If O’Malley was serious about cutting the number of gun deaths in half by 2025 his plan would include specific measures and detailed initiatives that focus on suicide prevention. Right? Think about it. If approximately 20,000 people kill themselves each year with firearms, then one would assume tackling the issue of suicide by firearm would figure prominently in the plan. But it doesn’t. In fact, the word “suicide” is rarely mentioned.
The only mention of suicide is in the context of policies relating to storage of guns at home, universal background checks and a national age (21) requirement for handgun possession. But let’s be honest about these measures, while they might help to keep guns out of the hands of young children, their ability to dissuade a suicidal individual from taking his own life are highly suspect. To draw an analogy, it’s like trying to prevent drunk driving by lowering speed limits or banning SUVs.
What O’Malley is essentially doing is focusing on the rules of the road and the types of vehicles people drive instead of the drunkard behind the wheel. It makes no sense. If we want to lower the number of gun deaths we need to primarily focus on the man with suicidal ideations — not so much oblique concerns like background checks, age requirements for handguns and storage laws. It seems obvious, but for some reason O’Malley completely misses the mark.
But all of this speaks to a larger, fundamental problem with O’Malley and his plan, which is that the problem is not gun deaths or gun violence — but death and violence. People kill people. People kill themselves. Guns just happen to be one of the methods by which people kill other people and people kill themselves. Our policy solutions, therefore, ought to target people who have the intention to hurt themselves or others regardless of the tool or implement at their disposal. To phrase it another way, we have a people problem — not a gun problem. We need to find solutions to fix broken and dangerous people.
How do we fix broken and dangerous people? There are many answers to that question (educational assistance, mental health treatment, job opportunities). Of course, none of those answers include stripping away the freedoms and liberties of the law-abiding. Sadly, that’s exactly what O’Malley is suggesting we do. He wants to ban widely popular and commonly owned firearms (AR-15s) and accessories (magazines with a capacity greater than 10 rounds). He wants to create a national gun owners registry. He opposes a federal concealed carry standard so certain state’s can maintain their Constitutionally dubious ‘may-issue’ practices. He wants to terminate the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which safeguards gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits, among many other baleful policy objectives.
O’Malley’s plan is completely misguided. It really is. Any “gun violence prevention plan” that doesn’t seriously discuss suicide and ways to stop it is not worth the paper it’s printed on. There are other big omissions too, like policy measures to target gang culture and widespread drug abuse both of which drive up the gun homicide and violent crime rates. Anyways, you get my point. It’s an epic fail.
Another point about “his High-ness “O’Malley” is his pressence as Mayor of Baltimore is that during that era, Baltimore & D.C.had the dubious distinction of being competitors for the Murder Capital of the U.S.A.
This guy is a total moron. He wants to be president and is proposing “new” gun laws, but he doesn’t even have any kind of grasp on the laws that are ALREADY IN FORCE. I love the remarks: “Because gun violence is committed disproportionately by young people, I would set a national age requirement of 21 for all handgun purchases and handgun possession. And because the U.S. is the most dangerous country in the developed world for women when it comes to gun violence, I would fight to close loopholes that allow domestic abusers to own and purchase guns.” and the supposedly “unregulated” Internet sales.
Federal minimum age of 21? Already the law.
Domestic violence convictions disqualifying gun purchases? Already the law.
“Unregulated” sales on the Internet? No such thing – you can shop and BUY online, but you can only take possession through an FFL with a background check.
LIBERALS ARE FRIGGIN’ IDIOTS !!!
Why is it that anti-gunnners and liberalitas almost always bark before they are let “outside”?
Having been a MD resident most of my life, I can attest to the draconian laws that MD gun owners are subjected to. When I retire in 2 years, we are moving to AZ because the the great weather, lower cost of living, and yes sensible gun laws. It is so easy for people like the elite ex-MD governor to say the things he says when he and his family enjoy tax payer security by state troopers and the privilege of living in a wealthy community. Those ant-gun folks who do not live like O’Malley are just plain uninformed, until they are victim of street violence, then they realize the need to protect themselves is a right!
Also a Md resident, but have only been for a few years, came here because of my job and yes, move. I hate this state. It truly is a Democrat heaven. Everyone here is all about themselves. Ive never met a bunch of people who think the entire world revolves around them. All a bunch of elitists. Yes, the gun laws suck, but so does everthing else here.
I thought Martin O’Malley was the ‘not insane’ alternative to Clinton or Sanders. I was wrong.
Well I agree with the Author of this article….but the number one problem with O’Malley’s proposal is the fact that “Criminals don’t buy guns legally”…..they don’t walk into the local gun shop and say….hey….I know I have killed a couple people and been bad here….but can you hook me up?
O’Malley is just like any other Politician……..saying what sounds good…..in other words…..Slapping the B.S on pretty thick!
If we want to slow down gun violence looks look at the root of the problem…. the PEOPLE that use guns to kill other people……we need to address the Mental Health Issues behind why someone would purchase a gun “Illegally” and go kill 10 other humans……sure sure….there are a very small percentage of criminals that purchase their guns at the local gun store….but I am guessing that is a VERY small percentage…..the rest are bought Illegally…..on the Black Market…..
AT the end of the day we have to remember…..Criminals don’t follow the Laws!……They don’t buy legal registered weapons…….they don’t follow yet another Stupid gun law……and they probably don’t follow the speed limits and 20 other things….so until we can start helping and get to the Root of The Problem….the rest…..well its all a good sounding line and a bandaid on a festering infected wound……..
Generally your right, most criminals do not buy guns legally. There are however legal gun owners (likely a very small percentage) that use their weapon to commit a crime. Domestic violence is one crime that comes up often in this example. Thank goodness in some cases the spouse is alos a firearm owner and is afforded the opportunity to protect themselves too!
For my compliance with these new potential laws I want unfettered and unquestioned access to any and all firearms. Full auto, short barrel, weapons produced overseas and suppressed equipment will now be obtainable to all who pass these ridiculous background checks.
Here’s a question for you “Mr.” O’Malley…what makes you think that you can “Reduce” anything? People WAKE UP AND READ BETWEEN THE LINES!!!! The ONLY way for people to stop using firearms for crime is to REMOVE firearms as an M.O. (ie. MODUS OPERANDAI (sp)… method of operating)! With NO GUNS, crime can’t be committed with them…
Now lets examine that carefully…. If having NO GUNS means they won’t be used in crime, then how is it that criminals FIND WAYS to get them; even with background checks today! Why? Because criminals aren’t going to be checked…but “Hey, I can change this in 10 years…Ask yourself “How can O’Malley do this when for the last 200+ years NOONE has changed the fact that it is the “person” that decides how a gun is utilized!!! The government that wants to CONTROL every aspect of our lives, WON”T want you to be able to protect your selves! They want to continue enslaving us!
Why don’t the Communist’s (aka Democraps) in California clean up one of major problems the gangs of illegals and others young under aged thugs that are carrying and using illegally obtained (stolen) handguns, Machine pistols, etc which they are not allowed to own and don’t seal their records as minors when they reach 18 make their records of deeds follow them so on a background check you seem to think will work MIGHT!!!!!!!! By the way why aren’t they in federal prison since they have broken FEDERAL law, or does OBAMA look the other way for vote for the DEMOCRAPS????????
I grow up in the 1950’s, and back then there were insane asylums all over the United States. Both Federal and State run hospitals. Since they closed most of them down the police have most of them locked up. The ones that are not have swollen the ranks of the Democratic Party and Liberal Education in this country.
Don’t worry, he won’t make it to President….his platform is too weak, Hilary is too strong, so all empty words coming from a wanna be Presidential candidate.
Have you noticed presidential candidates always have a 10 year plan even though they’re term limited to 8 years? That’s what they do when they know their plan will fail.
Gun deaths are 1/100 of 1 percent of the 50 million baby murders done in America.. Auto deaths are much higher than gun deaths, as are killings by knife, bat, and fists.. This is Not about gun death control, but about People control.. How many deaths caused by auto drivers using cell phones? Must be way higher than guns.. Why don’t people have to get a cell phone permit, or pass a constitution understanding course to be a politician, or hold public office? It’s all about greed and power.. Make the people sheep to the wolves, and you absolute power.. God the Creator is the only person I will give that power too freely..
This is what caught my eye:
“Without such protections, it will remain far too easy for criminals to legally buy guns.”
Wait a minute! I thought that criminals were barred from buying guns, which means they CAN’T legally buy guns! If they buy them, they are doing it ILLEGALLY!
Take my word for it. O’Malley is a much better musician than he was a governor. He was so great as governor that the voters in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Maryland (a/k/a Absurdistan) replace him with a Republican governor rather than chance another Demoncrat.
Since the requirement for a Handgun Qualification License (HQL) went into effect the City of Baltimore now has a murder rate for 2015 of almost one per day. I think most if not all were by handguns, not so-called “assault weapons.”
Sicc semper ignoramus
“Owe” Malley as he is known in Maryland is the worst of the bunch running on the dem side. As a former life long resident of MD it is notoriously corrupt and is also the east coast test bed for every liberal liberty grab coming out of DC right next door. MD residents have no real representation unless you live in Balt city or in the county east of DC, both of which are 90+% Democrat and overwhelmingly on public assistance. For decades these 2 areas are so populous a candidate running for Governor only has to win these 2 jurisdictions to win the state. The other 22 counties and 1 city are taxed without representation. owemalley did what ever he wanted for so long he apparently feels like KING OWE’MALLEY. We all knew he would run for the whitehouse. He was actually so bad that even enough dems in the state turned on their own party and voted a Republican into the Governors office. It woke up a lot of other state dem’s…….. owe’malley forced another ridiculous (do nothing to stop crime) gun ban on MD residents all in prep for running for pres. This guy is a narcissist joke; he implemented what came to be known as a “rain tax”. In otherwords, you are taxed according to anything, any structure on your property that impeded rain from hitting the dirt, ie, decks, porches, sheds, driveway. A massive tax increase for Marylanders. I believe the new Governor has already gotten rid of or blocked it? All this rant is just the tip of the iceberg regarding “owe”malley.
As him how it worked in Maryland and check Baltimores murder rate for 2015.
Pure BS.
Right!! Just look at Baltimore and the State of Md…”his work” has worked out so, so well there. Baltimore is such a nasty, vile, disgusting, violent jungle with savages just running amuck. . .
As him how it worked in Maryland and check Baltimores murder rate for 2015.
Pure BS.
This stupid fuxxing liberal moron would shred the 2nd Amendment and start a revolution; he, Hillary and Bernie should all be in a psychiatric facility with locked doors, IMHO
“I am an authorized concealed carry, and this last year I bought 3 guns over the internet, under the law and in each case I had to have my FFL ( licensed to transfer weapons and perform background check) receive the weapon and a copy of the FFL from the seller. In one case an FFL well known to me, apologized but had to put the gun in his safe, because the seller forgot to enclose his FFL copy. Once we had that then I was able to pick-up the weapon…” Oh they were hunting rifles and a collector grade M1 to go in the safe.” Illegal sales over the internet???????????????????, now a criminal or someone not authorized would just call
someone advertising and make arrangements if lives near by to go and pick it up, sometimes big money talks when it should not. In every state under federal law, you can not sell a pistol to anyone unless they are a resident of that state. In Texas we always ask for a license / and I do not sell or buy unless they have a current Concealed carry, so I know that have had a back ground check. Last year, and here are some real time facts for 2015
Drunk Driving: 33777. Unintentional Poisoning: 31729. All Drug Abuse: 24982. Homicide: 16784. Prescription Drug Overdose: 14986. Murder by gun: 11483. So only those who have passed background and special sobriety training, well you can figure out the rest…………………..y’all have a nice new year.
REGISTER CRIMINALS & CAREER POLITICIANS, NOT GUNS
isn’t it already law that you have to be 21 to purchase a handgun? When politicans call for las like that are already in force, thet really just want to stick something else in and then get the ignorant to support thier bill.
Having strong black men working in the inner city communities with children from single parent families is a great plan. Having community based police work with the young is great, but not in a stuffy or do gooder way. These men must show the kids that they are human, have certain faults and that it is just fine if the kids do not want to be police or fire fighters. They need to be shown that they are very able and can have any carreer that white kids can. They also must be shown that gangs are not something to look up to, to understand those people are really weak and that is why they band together. Jail is not a fun place to be with your “homeboys”, it is punishment for breaking the law. That record follows them all thier life.
o’mally, just another socialist-democrat gun grabber,with no chance of winning the presidency, better to worry about the witch-clinton!
This is why I don’t trust the Socialist Democrat Party of the United States. They never take time to learn about what they object to.
They spout off without understanding the laws… Only to write more laws that they never read… Like Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi. We have to read the bill to see what’s in the bill…
…………………………………………………..
Most Demcrats are anti gun lovers, I’am making the proposal for everyone to change their political affiliation to Republican. I have been a Democrat for over 40 years and I’am embarrassed by their stupidty . Most Repubicans are pro gun and we need to get more of them in office. This is easy to do and will shock the Democrat party.
Spread this to as many forums as you can !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Liked your opinion there. I refer to myself not as pro-gun, but as a civil rights supporter. This throws off the anti second amendment folks. I strongly advocate a person’s inherent right to self protection from any threat, but whatever means they have at their disposal in a life or death situation. I also support the right to use firearms for all sporting activities as this is not a violence issue at all, but a recreational one with great benefits and opportunities to teach responsibility and safety to citizens who may need more mentoring. Lastly, should we allow civil or criminal action against tire manufacturers, when a drunk driver kills someone? They want to dry up the source of guns through the courts.
-“do u think we are going to have snow these year winter?”-
Its strange and confusing to ask a question about winter weather at this article, but its the same feeling after reading the maryland governor plan.
-“do u think we are going to have snow these year winter?”-
Its strange and confusing to ask a question about winter weather at this article, but its the same feeling after reading the maryland governor plan.
just a question, do u think we going to have snow this years winter??
If all deaths from rifles were eliminated nation wide it would only amount to around 300 less. If just assault rifles are counted the number drops to less than 150. Assault rifles make good reading, but are hardly the problem.
All these proposals are basically the same as NY state already has, and the numbers there haven’t changed.
O’Malley is just like all the rest, go after the law abiding and lie about the facts. Whatever is being done now, isn’t working, and more of the same isn’t going to fix it either.
O’Malley, nobody with their right mind is paying attention to you Mr. Goofball after the way you have screwed up Maryland. The Second Amendment was put there because of the risk of tyranny and it looks like we have arrived at that bad place now.
To “rebuild the American Dream, we must require all Law Abiding Citizens to possess firearms, to carry them at all times! We must Secure our border’s and remove all ILLEGALS from America. We must declare once again America is a Christian Nation, build on Biblical principals, require all Legal immigrants to learn and speak English! AS America was founded and had been, you accept our ways when you come to America, you don’t try to change it to yours. This is why America is going down the drain. The ILLEGALS and foreigners are demanding their own way, claiming ours insults them. Well, that’s too bad, Nothing in the Constitution guaranteed your right not to be offended! So, if you don’t like America the way it was founded and flourished, LEAVE. God Bless America~ MERRY CHRISTMAS..
You have the right idea, though your silly claim that religion — any religion — is essential to fixing this mess is way off base. One of the founding principles of this nation is to prevent our oppression BY religion, hence the First Amendment restriction on government giving any power or showing favoritism toward ANY religion. Christian zealots are to be trusted no further than Islamic nutters.
My 20+ years in uniform were shared with a great many other atheists, at least some of whom wore Silver Stars or, in one case, the DSC. Most of us had no issue with religion, or any objection at all to traditional religious displays, such as crosses, Nativity scenes, religious phrases on currency, public prayers, or the usual thing the tiny percentage of loud-mouthed atheist “activists” whine about. Zealotry in atheist is just as disgusting as religious tyranny.
You are certainly free to believe what you want, but insisting that everyone else must follow your creed is not only tacky, but downright rude.
Agreed. Our nation was forged from several colonies, at least three if which (Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maryland) were settled by refugees from religious persecution in countries which neither protected the FREE exercise of religion (which necessarily includes being free NOT to take part in religious worship) nor forbade government from forcing us all to worship the “right” way.
I’m a religious man, myself. I don’t want the government telling me or my pastor how to worship, and I don’t ever want to tell anyone else how to do so.
It’s a shame that Islam has a more recent history of imposing itself on people of other faiths, but we can’t forget that in the 1600s, our own nation was formed from people escaping just that sort of tyranny done in the name of Christ.
You had me up to “if you don’t like America the way it was founded.” What, with blacks in slavery, counting for 3/5ths of a white citizen? We built this country on reform of immoral stupidity like that, and we now have a Constitution that protects us all.
I do agree with you, fervently, that our laws, which now DO protect us all, need to be enforced. If our President doesn’t want to do that, Congress needs to impeach him, and keep impeaching Presidents (throwing them in jail for breaking Federal law, if need be) until we get someone who can read a fairly simple document like our Constitution and obey it.
I got a better registration plan. REGISTER CRIMINALS. dont know what’s happened since, but about 15 years ago murders in Richmond, VA went thru the roof. The Federal officials & local DA’s got on the same page. For Richmond, local mandatory 10 year sentences for criminals using weapons, Federal Court would shoulder their responsibility for Federal offenses & locals would go for the mandatory sentencing on local violations. . At least for a while, local drug dealers were heard saying, What? Hell no, I dont want to do 10, you wont find a gun on me. Anyone want to bring me up to date? .
Supposedly, that’s happening in New Orleans, the closest really big city to me. BATFE’s got a huge billboard where everyone has to drive past on their way on the Interstate to New Orleans East (one of the more troubled neighborhoods in the city) explaining that felons will get more time tacked on to their sentences if they carry, wife-beaters, if they carry, and anyone caught on a school grounds carrying.
The results have been less than stellar. Late last year a gunfight between two gangs in New Orleans cost some kids n a local park their lives. None of the few hundred citizens present at what was supposedly a peaceful gathering from which those kids ought to have come home alive spoke up; the high police official for that part of town got into a discreet argument ON CAMERA with his boss, the Commissioner of the New Orleans Police Department, over the fact that of all these people, NONE had come forward to identify any of the dozen or so shooters involved.
We can register criminals, we can enact laws requiring them to serve long sentences for abusing guns, and those are good things. However, when we have communities too afraid even to show the police who just killed their kids, and politicians in uniform running big city police departments who fail to denounce that behavior, the problem won’t get better. Communities which protect their criminal classes are electing their REAL government.
Along with several other respondents to this article, I also lived in Marylandistan when it was subject to former Governor O’Mao-ley’s absurdities. In addition to his gross overreaction to any gun violence also developed a “rain tax” by which the amount of rain runoff that your home’s roof deflected based on the relative square footage of your home as measured by an overflight of your home by a contracted aircraft was then an added tax “to protect the envoironment”. The price of a new or used car immediately went up about 10-25% within a year of his first term. His administration was plagued by corruption and cronyism…..and what should be no surprise to anyone, he was Baltimore “Murderland”s” former mayor. I no longer live in Maryland and will never return or live in any state that supports such elitism and hegemony. Yes we are a nation of laws and
more importantly individual freedoms based on the fact that we as adult human beings don’t need elected or appointed babysitters who think they know “what is good for us” as they bask in their hypocrisy. No one should be worried about his becoming president, no one outside of a delusional few in the Beltway would vote for the ruinous individual whose accomplishments are even fewer than that of our former Secretary of State.
The black homicide rate without guns is three times the non-black homicide rate with guns. Guns are not the problem. The cause lies with liberal support of illegitimacy that has created a third world culture of feral young men who never gained self respect and cannot tolerate disrespect. Disrespect during arguments is the single largest cause of homicides. The black homicide rate is more than six times the non-black homicide rate using all weapons. We could save more than 5,000 black lives every year if we could somehow get the black homicide rate down to the non-black homicide rate and this starts with increasing two parent families and the love and guidance from fathers. More than half of all homicides are committed by about 7 percent of the population. This fact has hardened police attitudes towards young black men. Then the riots in Ferguson after a policeman shot a big black man who was in a contest for his gun has put decent blacks at a disadvantage. The consequences for the white police officer has sent the message to law enforcement to disengage from the black communities and let them kill themselves.
You’re exactly right about the message the “Black community” send to law enforcement, and the end result is going to be less police protection and higher violent crime in heavily Black communities — and personally I don’t even feel sorry about that.
Everyone in those communities knows exactly who the bad guys are and yet does NOTHING to help solve crimes; they’ve adopted the gangster’s attitude that to snitch is dishonorable, and the cops are automatically their enemy.
Now, thanks to a minority of punks and Al Sharpton wanna-bees, every encounter with a cop is turned into an us-versus-them confrontation, and even when all evidence vindicates the cop and all but convicts the “victim,” the mindless crowd invents their own “facts” … and the overwhelming bulk of the Black community — nationwide — supports their lies and bullshit.
So those neighborhoods will get the kind of policing they richly deserve. Like the “good, peaceloving” Muslims who duck their heads and pretend they don’t know anything about the dangerous psychopaths who share their mosques and social centers — they are paying a price for their bad choices and misplaced “loyalties.”
And no doubt we’ll hear a lot of whining when they get the kind of policing they asked for.
The Dems won’t enforce the laws against gun crimes with appropriate prison sentences so they instead pass more laws against those gun owners who are not causing any problem. It’s like losing your wallet in the alley but you look for it in the street because the light is better.
I met a man in Maryland who was trying to get a permit to carry a gun. He showed me a pile of papers that must have been 2 in thick he had to fill out. On top of that he had to have 12 people fill out a form to show what kink of person he is.
I moved to Florida and applied for a permit.I was given a form to fill out a fingerprint card for 5 dollars payed 117 dollars and in 10 days had a permit which is no good in Maryland all thanks to Mr O’mally
I live in Gungrabistan, MD where this fool was governor for way too long. The ridiculous gun “safety” law he shoved down our throats in 2013 has done absolutely NOTHING to help with gun violence, in fact it has gotten worse. He has never met a tax he didn’t love and he personally destroyed our rights. He is a total tool and God help this country if by some horrible miracle the sheep of this country vote this left wing moron in.
It appears that Governor O’Malley is just another politician trying to get the same old message out about making more gun laws… I believe we already have well over @25,000 gun laws on the books and our politicians continuously keep wanting to reinvent the wheel by making more new laws just to get their name recognized as a champion to stop gun violence. Reality Check indicates that Criminals do not obey the laws… and never will… Only law abiding citizens make an effort to obey the laws, which sadly results in just about every legal gun owner violating an existing law which they are not aware of. This will not change even if we enact another million gun laws.. Since we cannot outlaw People… Why not get to the root of the problem and start imposing the “eye for an eye theory” on the perpetrators… If they kill an individual using a firearm, why not have them experience the same fate instead of putting them in prison for 20 years or life so that taxpayers can support them to the tune of $50k plus a year for the length of their sentence when there is a less costly alternative. Lets start Enforcing the existing laws.
Next issue is what does Governor O’Malley plan to do with respect to controlling the 300 million plus estimated existing guns which are currently out there ??? That should be an interesting problem to resolve !!!
Then look at the many links of Genocides by government that occurred because of disarming their citizens… that’s why we have the 2nd Amendment in our Constitution… to protect us against Tyranny by Government… here is just one of many links for your reading pleasure… http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/deathgc.htm Just type in the word “Genocide” in any search engine and you will get a major Wake Up Call..
In Reality guns do not kill people… People kill People and there in lies the problem. If I put a loaded firearm on a table in a crowded area, I guarantee that it would not shoot or kill anyone if it stayed in place for 1,000 years… However; if someone picked it up and started squeezing the trigger then it becomes a problem. Which resorts back to the fact that the gun is not the problem… it’s the person squeezing the trigger that is the issue and needs to be dealt with accordingly. I could go on and on but in reality a gun is just a tool… and any tool in the hands of an Idiot can become some sort of a problem… So somehow we must fix the Idiots…
JPLen
I live in this occupied state ,I was there with four of my sons and testified against the 2013 Safety Act as they call it. We packed the state house with over 4000 pro gun ,pro freedom,voters.First time they had to close the State House ( in it history )do to fire codes .We packed the side walks outside ,all testimony fell on death ears.He told the people that 80% wanted this bill to pass but only 9 testified in support of it. Yet the crime goes up and murder has largest numbers in years ,Sad,,,,,,then he in posses a tax on the people never seen before it was a tax on rain,,yes I said rain ,look it up this is the governor that taxed rain ,,,hmmm maybe as president he could tax air ,,now there a thought O malley . And as far as Gov. Hogan not able to repeal the safety act 2013 ,,,,please ,,,,thats why he was voted in ,,,,,to right the wrongs
Unfortunately, Gov. Hogan still has a Democratic majority in both houses to work with. I believe the requirements for Concealed Carry were carved in stone by the legislature, and our President is the only executive who can bypass a legislature. Let us pray for the best.
As a Maryland resident for the past 50 years, I can attest to the fact that this yo-yo was THE worst Governor we’ve had EVER had and I’m am SO glad he’s gone. We’ve been extremely fortunate to have recently elected. Larry Hogan as our current Governor, but it would be a lot to expect of him to be able to undo the the major mess the previous tax-happy, gun hating idiot he replaced created. Still, I am hopeful. Maryland is a state next to DC where only 4 of Maryland’s heavily Democratic voting districts are able to wreak havoc on the rest of us during too many elections. It’s killing me. I’m picking up my 2nd online firearm purchase this year today. There was a background check again, and a waiting period again and in order to get the extra 4 round magazine capacity, the gun is equipped to provide I had to spend an extra $45.00 dollars on a 10 round mag to have in the gun when it shipped to the FFL here in MD and ask the seller to ship the original 2 14-round mags out of state to a relative of mine who will then ship them to me. This is all legal as I am able to purchase higher capacity magazines from out of state, but can not have an out of state purchase arrive here with more than a 10-round clip. Wtf??? All this is happening after I was required, under an Omalley admiration law passed, to pay $50.00 more dollars for a state issued HQL permit to just OWN my new guns in this state.
GOD help us if this idiot ever makes it to the White House. He’s said whatever it is that the sheep here in The State wanted to hear to keep the violence down, while taxing the living life right out of the rest of us. Just in case he really wanted to do anthing to bring down the crime rate in Maryland, I have some news for him:
IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!!!!!!!!
Where did this clown come from? Didn’t even know he was running for president. His policies suck!
And yet nothing he mentions…will do anything to keep criminals from obtaining guns…just like they do now.
The gun registry? Criminals will not register theirs…right? Or do you think they will?
What about the 300M+ guns already out there? Mandatory registration? We all know many will NOT do this!!!
Registration does NOT lower automobile crimes…why would it do anything for gun crimes?
As for domestic violence…if original incident did not involve a gun (or guns)…why restrict a person’s RIGHT to own guns? Do they also take all the other possible weapons in a house? Chainsaw? Bats? Golf clubs? Knives? Pillows? Belts? Peanut butter?
Show me you are serious…make gangs domestic terrorists…eliminate THEIR rights…round their illegal guns up…5 year minimum sentence PER illegal gun. No early releases. No excuses regarding 4th amendment search problems and guns as evidence. Throw violators, and their families, out of subsidized housing.
THEN…we can talk about more laws, regulations, licensing, fingerprinting of innocent, legal gun buyers and owners!!!
Anyone out there…please feel free to forward and/or copy/paste any/all of this as you see fit to promote 2A.
Maryland enacted some tough gun laws with an intent to lower suicides two decades ago. What happened? Suicide deaths dropped by almost nothing, and were well within the normal for the state. If he wants to lower suicides by 10,000 (half of normal suicide rates) he will fail. Look to Japan, where few guns are owned lawfully. They have a suicide rate 2.5 times the USA. Why, since no guns are used? Switzerland, awash in machineguns and privately owned firearms, has a suicide rate the same as Japan, 2.5 times greater than the USA. Yet, with all the guns around, almost none are using firearms. They still end up dead. I remember years ago in Long Beach, California, A man came into the police department. He rode the elevator to the top floor, walked out onto the roof and jumped. Damn, he didn’t use gun. Another case a local man bought 100 feet of common hardware store rope. He went into the woods, found a stump next to the road, tied one end to the stump, the other around his neck. Then he floored the car and POP his head came off. He died quickly. The point being, if you want to die, the world is full of opportunity – just a little imagination.
Well, Duh! Lefties don’t care about people, except for their vote and the money to be had from them in taxes.
If they did care about people, they wouldn’t be tax and spend, anti capitalist, or for keeping ‘capitol crime’ criminals alive.
In short, they wouldn’t BE Democrats!!
This plan is nothing more than a rehash of similar plans, ALL of which failed to curb criminal activity.
As to suicides, it is folly to believe that all or even most suicides can be prevented.
Why waste time on a candidate that doesn’t even have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning his parties nomination? He is a non-factor.
O’Malley’s knows he has no chance of winning. This is just his strategy for getting a big-visibility job in Washington under Hillary (or Bernie) like AG, Veep, Secretary of State, etc., to keep him moving up in the food chain. The far-left backers know this, too, and are very enthusiastic at the prospect of a malleable dictator like him moving up, and taking their favorite obsessions with him.
He may be a joke now, but he’s dangerous and should be dealt with accordingly.
Old Marty is a leftist fool who had nearly destroyed Baltimore, leaving the final destruction to that leftist woman running things now as he has gone on to bigger & better challenges like destroying the entire state of Maryland.
No one in his/her right mind should give an credence to anything MM says.
you cant fix stupid, but you can vote against them. disarming the citizenry is the worst possible scenario in every event.
As a 63-year resident of Maryland I can say that O’Malley was an Epic Fail as a public servant. He did nothing unless it served to further his own personal agenda which was always clearly first and foremost in his mind. Let’s keep him in the rear-view mirror.
Empty promises, lies and deceit……..then we have to talk about how bad the democrats plans are. I wonder if there was a non-politician candidate on the democrat side, would they be as popular as the non-politician Republicans candidates are. Not sure they realize yet that politicians are the problem. Politicians and liberalism/socialism……need to be outlawed.
Who would have thought the new master race would be LIBERAL DEMOCRAT. This is just the MASTER plan to end private gun ownership.
Keep in mind that the Nazis were socialists (National SOCIALISTS, remember?), and certainly the Soviet Union, Cuba, Red China, North Korea, etc.
WOW! So… O’Malley would….rewrite 95% of firearm laws the same way they are already written. Take states rights away. Blatently lie to people. His list of current laws are misleading and or lies. And please Mr. O’Malley, in what dimension does the ATF/BATFE not have the resources or power to shut down a firearm retailer, dealer, or ffl? Lastly, he brings up marijuana, apparently his favorite strain is “brain rape”… oh wait, that is the only way i can describe the way i feel after reading his political b.s.
For an obvious gun-hater, I’ll bet he has a bodyguard or two, and they’re surely packin’. Question for O’Malley: After enacting all of those restrictive gun laws in Maryland, how’s that murder rate in Baltimore doin? Case closed.
2nd paragraph says it all. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. What “criminal” purchases a firearm “legally”? There are more illegal guns out there that disarming lawful gun owners will just increase the amount of violent crimes. Criminals are bullies, they don’t pick on the prepared, only the weak. If they don’t know who is armed all the better.