Gun Lies, Gun Anti-Gunners and Navy Yarad

Dem Strategist Pushes Gun Control, Claiming Armed Navy Yard Personnel ‘Just Stood Around And Watched’ As Massacre Unfolded

September 23, 2013 by Personal Liberty News Desk 

A Democratic strategist said in a recent MSNBC interview that guns rights activists are wrong in claiming that if more people were carrying guns, mass shooters would be stopped more quickly.

Strategist Steven McMahon said, contrary to the National Rifle Associations’ assertion that the Washington Navy Yard shooting site wasn’t sufficiently secured, that there were plenty of Navy personnel with guns on the base. But, McMahon insisted, they just “stood around and watched” during the massacre.

“Wayne LaPierre talked about mental health; I think he ought to perhaps have — think a little bit more about that himself,” McMahon said.

“If he’s suggesting that there weren’t guns in the Navy Yard when this gunman walked in and shot 13 people, he’s crazy,” he continued. “There were guns everywhere.”

“This person walked in with an assault weapon and was able to get off enough rounds to kill 12 people instantly, or nearly instantly,” McMahon added. “Everybody with the guns stood around and watched, or apparently were unable to stop him.”

“The guns were present. It was a Navy facility,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Of course, Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis didn’t have an assault weapon. The guns recovered, according to CNN, were a Remington Model 870 shotgun and two handguns.

Furthermore, guns are already banned in Washington, D.C., and on the grounds of the Navy Yard (per a February 25, 1992 Department of Defense directive, put in place under the Administration of George H.W. Bush, prohibiting most personnel on military bases from carrying loaded firearms), which is why Alexis was able to kill 12 and injure 14 before he died

Swiss Cheese Security Checks, They Don't Work Here Nor Do They In Syria

Apparently, Swiss cheese has less holes than the military's security checks.  If the Pentagon found 52 convicted felons getting access to bases, there is a problem.  Why are they not doing a better job?  How many others might there be?
Or they should change the rule about guns on base. Why should military personnel who are trained on the use of weapons not allowed to have them while at work in the US? That makes no sense.  Must be some sort of feel good ruling by some peace nick who believes, like our President, that the military need to be watched.
Whatever happened yesterday is a tragedy but it only points out that there are sick people in this world, like Major Hasan and yesterday's perpetrator. We never will stop them by passing any law, even one that said that all sick people had to be hospitalized!
However, this discussion brings up another thought. If we cannot adequately screen employees in this country, how does Obama presume to know who is a good guy or a bad guy in Syria? If that does not blow the whole idea of knowing with whom we are giving arms, nothing will.  We should not be arming the "rebels" or whatever they are. It is impossible to know who is al Qaida or a real freedom fighter.
Obama is wrong again and the events at the Navy Yard prove it, sadly.
Conservative Tom

GOP Rep.: Security holes at Navy Yard predated sequester

By Jonathan Easley - 09/17/13 05:39 PM ET

  

Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), a senior Rep. Turner member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that the sequester was not to blame for the Navy Yard shooter gaining access to the base.

“This predates sequestration,” Turner said on CNN’s The Lead. “I think sequestration has become sort of a buzz word for budgetary constraints.”

A Pentagon inspector general report released Tuesday found that 52 convicted felons had received regular, unauthorized access to various military facilities, and in part blamed cost-cutting measures for the Navy’s failure to properly vet contractors.

On Monday, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray speculated that former military contractor Aaron Alexis, whose rampage killed 12 and wounded several others on Monday, slipped through the Navy’s background checks process because of the sequester.

Alexis suffered from mental problems and had a record of arrests, but the Navy reservist was still granted access to the Navy Yard.

However, some in Congress have pointed out that the Navy has also been grappling with budgetary cutbacks that stemmed from the 2011 Budget Control Act, which slashed $487 billion from the Pentagon’s budget.

“Again, the IG in their report have the Navy specifically talking about budgetary constraints for their new processes, and the IG raises the issue of how does the Navy look at the issue of balance both security risks and budgetary constraints,” Turner continued.

“But I think this really does go to the heart of what we’re trying to do in the Department of Defense, finding smart ways to do things, but at the same time, lower risks. Security is really not an area that should at all suffer as we look at the way cuts might be able to be found.”

The across-the-board sequestration cuts reduced the military’s 2013 budget by $37 billion.

Here We Go Again--Guns Under The Microscope Again After Navy Yard Shooting

The bodies were not even cold before Obama and his gun grabbing friends were looking to re-energize the gun debate. Yes it is a tragedy, however, in never letting the facts get in the way of the truth, we find it interesting that in 2012 there were 88 murders in D.C. over that year, down from 400 in years past. (http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/01/nation/la-na-nn-washington-dc-2012-homicides-20130101)

Thinking we can prevent murders by getting rid of guns is not unlike stopping floods by stopping the rain. It cannot be done. People snap, people have problems and people sometimes just are unbalanced. It happens and all the laws in the world cannot prevent it.

We should understand that gun deaths will not stop if we outlaw guns or confiscate them. The only people who will turn in their guns will be the honest, law abiding citizens, not the criminals. Crimes will increase and the use of gun violence will also since the bad guys know that the average Joe cannot defend himself.  If we were a criminal we would be cheering Obama's goals.

This will not be the last article on the issue as we are sure there will be new attempts to revive gun control legislation. 

Conservative Tom

Gunman, 12 Others Dead In Navy Yard Shooting Rampage

September 16, 2013 by UPI - United Press International, Inc. 

The FBI said a Texas man who was among at least 13 people killed in Monday’s rampage at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., was the shooter.

Valerie Parlave, assistant FBI director in charge of the Washington Field Office, identified the dead gunman as Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth. It was unclear whether Alexis acted alone.

The shooting began about 8:20 a.m. EDT and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier told a 4 p.m. news conference the investigation was still active and it would be several hours before investigators determined whether any suspects were still at large.

Lanier said officers were on the scene within minutes of the first call and engaged the shooter.

Mayor Vincent Gray said at least 13 people had been killed and a dozen more had been injured. He urged people who live in the area to stay away and those already in the area to shelter in place.

The U.S. Senate placed itself on lockdown.

As many as three gunmen were initially thought to have been involved in the rampage and police spent much of the day searching for two other possible assailants inside the headquarters for Naval Sea Systems Command.

Late Monday afternoon, police said one of the two suspects — a white male wearing a Navy-style khaki military uniform with a beret — had been identified and was not considered a suspect or person of interest.

It was unclear, however, if police were still searching for a black male in his 50s, believed to be wearing olive drab and armed with a rifle.

The police department was asking anyone with information to call 800-225-5321.

Parlave said the FBI was seeking as much information as possible on Alexis, who some media outlets identified as a military contractor.

“No piece of informatiion is too small,” she said, adding the FBI wants to know about his recent movements and contacts. A picture of the suspect was posted in the FBI’s website. Parlave said anyone with information on Alexis should call 800-225-5324.

A Washington police officer and a base security guard were among the injured. The police officer and two civilian victims were taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Chief Medical Officer Janis Orlowski said the injured police officer was treated for gunshot wounds to the leg. A female civilian was being treated for a gunshot wound to her shoulder and another woman, also a civilian, had gunshot wounds to her head and hand. All three were expected to survive, Orlowski said,

A man in his 60s was confirmed dead at George Washington University Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.

One employee, who declined to be identified, told The Washington Post he heard “blam, blam” inside one of the buildings, then someone pulled the fire alarm.

“We still don’t know all the facts, but we do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed,” President Barack Obama said Monday before remarks to mark the fifth anniversary of the financial crisis. “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting — and today, it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital. …

“We send our thoughts and prayers to all at the Navy Yard who’ve been touched by this tragedy. We will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.”

Police said family members were directed to nearby Nationals Stadium parking lot B to meet up with Navy Yard employees who allowed to leave the complex.

“Family members looking for information about their loved ones can contact the Warfighter and Family Support Center at 202-433-6151 or 202-433-9713,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

Late in the day, the Washington Nationals canceled Monday’s scheduled game against the Atlanta Braves.

“I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the shooting this morning at the Navy Yard,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I have complete confidence in our first responders, and I continue to be completely focused on this very difficult situation.”

About 3,000 people work inside Naval Sea Systems Command’s headquarters, the Navy said. The Navy Yard also houses CIA and other U.S. intelligence assets.

The Navy said it has issued an “Order to Account” for all Navy uniformed personnel, both active duty and selected Reserve, assigned to commands in the D.C. metro area.

The FBI took the lead on the investigation with the assistance of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Metro police.

“Everyone here at the Department of Defense is saddened by the incident at the Washington Navy Yard this morning,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims. Secretary [Chuck] Hagel is closely following the situation and has assured the Navy we will provide any resource or capability needed to get the Washington Navy Yard community through this event.

The Pentagon has increased security “as a proactive, precautionary measure,” Little said in a statement.