Shot in the Dark

Disclosure In The Dark

I write a lot about Second Amendment issues (among many other things) in Minnesota and nationwide.

And I’m going to be writing a lot more about the subject in the coming year.  It’s going to be one of those years. 

And since I’ll be writing a lot on the subject, I may as well get this out of the way.

  In the interest of full disclosure:

  • I am a member of the Minnesota Gun Owners’ Civil Rights Alliance (GOCRA).  (I urge you to become one too, by the way).  It’s a free membership – but I’ve donated money to the organization in the recent past.  Mainly to get the cool maroon T-Shirt.
  • I have volunteered at GOCRA events; I’ve manned the GOCRA table at a few gun shows in the past decade, and attended hearings at the Capitol – as a spectator and moral supporter, not to give testimony on GOCRA’s behalf. 

That is my entire involvement with GOCRA.  I am not a member of their executive committee, I have no position within the organization. 

And let’s be perfectly clear; I get no money from GOCRA.   Not a penny.  I cover gun issues because it’s the right thing to do.  That’s it.

Please print this for your files.  Thanks.

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Mitch Berg

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12 responses to “Disclosure In The Dark”

  1. jpmn Avatar
    jpmn

    Last lead smelting plant in the US closing.

    http://fox2now.com/2013/10/17/last-us-lead-smelter-closing-in-missouri-145-jobs-lost/

    Slowly but surely the progressives are moving all manufacturing to third world nations.

  2. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    “The tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of patriots” — Jefferson

    Hamilton would have disagreed, and his voice prevailed more often than not in the writing of the constitution, but Jefferson’s views are still widely held.

    There is a case to be made that violent crime statistics are not easily compared, not that violent crime is correlated to gun ownership. Only gun crime is correlated to gun ownership. Overall crime is not high in the US.

    Fellow motorists shooting at each other only happens in L.A., and fairly rarely there. If it encourages adherence to traffic laws with minimal direct loss of life, armed motorists may in fact be saving lives.

    The low ranking of gun homicide amongst causes of death (outside of a few violent neighborhoods) shows that the demand for gun control is driven by emotional, rather than actuarial imperatives. Should we feel sympathy for shooting victims? Ethically, yes. Does it affect middle class voters’ self-interest? No.

  3. swiftee Avatar
    swiftee

    “Last lead smelting plant in the US closing.”

    Guess Homeland Security got it’s ammo orders filled.

  4. swiftee Avatar
    swiftee

    “Only gun crime is correlated to gun ownership.”

    Tell that to the Aussies.

  5. justplainangry Avatar
    justplainangry

    Only gun crime is correlated to gun ownership. = Red Herring

    Gun ownership is not correlated to gun crime. Criminal use of a gun is correlated to gun crime. Just because I own a gun does not make me part of a gun crime statistic. And if you take my gun away, as much as you may want to do that, EmeryTheUSAHater, it will not affect a criminal using a firearm in a crime.

  6. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    Repeat after me: “correlation is not causation”.

  7. Scott Hughes Avatar
    Scott Hughes

    It’s interesting (and sad) news about the lead smelter closing. Last year our gun club had a company come in and reclaim shot lead from the clubs topsoil. After paying the company that did the work our money share of the salvage was in the many thousands of dollars.

    I need a cool shirt, I think I’ll drop some bucks to GOCRA!

  8. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    I agree with Emery; possession of a gun must first exist for the gun to be used in a crime. Unless the crime is theft, in which the gun is the item stolen. While not true “gun crime”, I’m sure it gets tossed into the hopper to bulk up the statistics.

    If I live in a land where guns absolutely do not exist, I will not be a victim of gun crime. If I live in a land where everyone owns and carries guns, then, if I’m victimized violently, a gun will most likely be used to facilitate the crime. That’s basic. That still does not negate crime, just one of many tools. Many dozens of people are killed at once in the Mideast without the use of guns. That’s while the “gun crime” chant is so useful to Ms. Martens and her crew; it’s true. I’m assuming that’s what Emery is saying.

    Seems odd that Ms. Martens chose the beginning of MN hunting seasons to kick off her latest venture, a time when people tend to view their firearms positively. Maybe she’s banking on a high hunter mortality rate.

    Don’t hold your breath for the GOCRA t-shirt. I mailed them my $30 in March, and despite numerous phone and e-mail messages, I’ve yet to get any response. I don’t need a t-shirt or other gadget, just proof that they got my money. I will send another donation again as they do good work. However, they are not too user friendly.

  9. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    Joe,

    Friends of mine in the organization tell me they’re going to get “fulfillment” fixed very soon. It’s a known bug.

  10. Emery Avatar
    Emery

    There’s a misconception that Americans are unaware of the implications of our gun laws.
    1. Gun deaths do not significantly impact the overall risk of death outside of certain urban areas (all of which favor strict gun laws). In a relatively few neighborhoods in America is there a fear of gun violence on the streets.
    2. The presence of guns in a country is not correlated to the presence of violent crime.
    3. Widespread gun ownership doesn’t make middle class suburban and exurban voters feel less safe.
    4. Guns owners are a vocal and well organized minority. America’s constitution makes it difficult to defy a vocal and well organized minority.
    5. America was founded on the notion that governments are inherently oppressive. Many Americans feel that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and eternal readiness to revolt against encroaching tyranny.

    The contention that America is asleep about gun control is hard to square with the near continuous debate we have had on the subject for at least the past 50 years.

  11. Bill C Avatar
    Bill C

    While not true “gun crime”, I’m sure it gets tossed into the hopper to bulk up the statistics.

    I read somewhere once that in MN, if a pedestrian is drunk and stumbles into traffic and gets hit, even if the driver is totally stone cold sober, it gets lumped into the “alcohol related accident” category and thus, it can be used to boost drunk driving accident numbers.

  12. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    Mr. Berg … Thanks for the input. I assume “fulfillment” is their ability to respond to members. My complete inability to get a response was in complete contrast to the actual GORCA staff I met at the capitol – very inclusive, friendly, and apparently dedicated. I hope they clear it up. I hate to send money blindly, not knowing if it was received or not.

    I am aware of some law enforcement jurisdictions that classify calls by what they are reported as. “Report of gunshots” which turns out to be fireworks, car noise, or is unsubstantiated (even when around the Fourth of July) is recorded as a gunshot call. BB guns and similar calls are also classified under weapons offenses. Technically this is true, but quite misleading to anyone looking at the stats; frequently sharp new-home buyers who want to see what’s happening near their prospective residence.

    Local jurisductions have some leeway in how they choose to record data. Obviously, this can be used to overstate or understate an issue, particularly issues that they have some interest in.

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