I covered this subject with Senator Angela Hill on the radio show last week but the Clarion-Ledger published a nice front-page story on a gun rights battle that is currently taking place in the legislature.* JJ has much more information to add to this story but will let the newspaper have its day in the sun today. Stay tuned for tomorrow. What is interesting about this story is that this out-of-state group is not attacking moderates or fence-sitters but instead legislators who are strong supporters of gun rights. Geoff Pender wrote:
Often wearing a tan military-looking jacket with a Mississippi Gun Rights logo on it, Noel Fritsch has lobbied lawmakers since January to pass "constitutional carry," allowing people to carry concealed guns without a permit. (Mr. Fritsch commented on the article that he does not own such a jacket. He did not state he did not wear one, however. Perhaps he leases it?).
At first welcomed by conservatives in the pro-gun Mississippi Legislature, Fritsch appears to have worn out his welcome with several, including the senator who filed the bill he wanted. They vow never again to deal with him or his organization, after they were targeted with "robo-calls" and social media ads claiming they are anti-gun rights. Fritsch also faces complaints that he was lobbying lawmakers without being registered as a lobbyist, a potential violation of state law, albeit one that's seldom prosecuted.
As was often the case when he served as communications director for state Sen. Chris McDaniel's U.S. Senate campaign last year, Fritsch has in part become the issue. "I have a goal to run (Mississippi Gun Rights) out of Mississippi, and I hope they never come back," said House Judiciary Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, one of the Legislature's staunchest gun-rights advocates. "They have made me mad … Noel Fritsch is no friend of mine. He has got a bad way of doing things."
Sen. Angela Hill, who filed a constitutional carry bill on behalf of Fritsch and Mississippi Gun Rights, said she has warned Fritsch she would contact the Capitol Police if he contacts her again. She said his communications with her went from bossy to "borderline threatening."
"I don't want any more dealings with him in the future, whatsoever," Hill said. "… In hindsight, I should have done more research before I filed a bill for them." Rest of the story. Much more worth reading.
Remember when I posted a headline about revolutions eating their children a few weeks ago? This is what I was referring to at that time. By the way, this buffoon is not even registered to vote here (as of last Friday). He is an out-of-state representative representing an out-of-state group. I think the word I used on the radio last week was "carpetbagger". The word still fits Mr. Fritsch.
*Constitutional Carry is the belief that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives one the right to carry a weapon concealed or unconcealed anywhere or almost anywhere. The Mississippi Constitution gives the legislature the right to regulate the concealed carry of firearms.
19 comments:
The Reign of Terror is just beginning if your analogy holds. The Fritschs of the revolution haven't killed Marat or Robespierre yet.
The difference between the French Revolution and ours was that our leaders didn't empower the worst elements in the colonies.
We'll just have to wait to see how empowered our crazies are becoming.
This is a good lesson for Angela Hill and Andy Gipson. You can't flirt with crazy people and be shocked when they burn you.
Let's all remember how involved Noel Fritsch was with Chris McDaniel's campaign. He was his campaign manager! McDaniel is not being truthful to imply Fritsch didn't have a major role and that he didn't have frequent contact with him.
News flash: gun nuts are nuts.
Fritsch is a loon and a douchebag, and had a large hand in McDaniel’s defeat.
But he wasn’t the campaign manager.
Randian libertarians ( I can only assume that's what he is) get to a certain point to where they cannot seperate " Atlas Shrugged" from reality. Such is the same with their expectations of government.
Their views seem to range from bare bones constitutionalism to simply no government at all.
( they don't want a government when we've got terrorists running around...) this is how loopy they are.
Some of us can appreciate objectivism as a nice idea and leave it at that, where as, a lot of people simply jump over the cliff and actually think there should be no government at all and sometimes become the very reason why we have a 'nanny state'.
* just an observation
How does a candidate for a major political office not have "alot of direct dealing" with his campaign communication director? Incredulous. Sounds like Fritsch is being thrown under the bus, and deservedly so.
So, we want more death and destruction? I thought we had enough with the current mindset of the public at large.
Gipson is an idiot, trying to make a name for himself to have a "political career." Is he still living with Mommy and Daddy?
Rep Chris Brown found out the hard way when it comes to dealing with the tea Party. He was ALL-IN to run for Nunnelee Congressional seat. He went to DC to meet with the Tea Party BIG WIGS. they were ready to give him money and support to his campaign. After he got back home Chris "Bomgar-Worships-Me" McDaniels got wind of Brown speaking to the Tea Party big-wigs and threw a FIT. They got on a conference call last week with Brown, McD and the Tea Party National groups and told Brown ALL their money would go through McD PAC. McD would run the campaign and Brown had to do what McD told him. Brown told them they weren't telling him anything cause he quit and HUNG UP the phone. Live and learn people. Get involved with these people and your gonna pay, one way or the other.
Just another reason people like Ms Hill should not be involved in writing legislation when they have no clue about the subject matter. Guess she never thought about all the thugs who would have the ability to carry concealed or the fact that we would lose reciprocity with other states. Good move Ms. Hill. You really thought that through, then again when you know nothing about the subject it's kinda hard to have an intelligent thought on it.
News flash: Most legislation is not written by the legislators but by lobbyists, outside lawyers, and other interested parties.
Just curious, why would we lose reciprocity with other states? Does the bill abolish CCPs or just remove the requirement in our state? If it does not abolish CCPs, couldn't someone choose to get a CCP if they want reciprocity while another could choose not to get a CCP if they aren't concerned about carrying in another state?
My understanding- and I can be wrong - is that the permit process is left in place just for that reason.
Good questions. South Carolina, for example, does not recognize Mississippi CC because we don't require a certified firearms class. WE only have that for enhanced carry. Many other states do recognize our license. If we didn't require a background check I am confident no one would give us reciprocity. The goal should be to have as many states as possible recognize our CC permit. Its wouldn't hurt to require everyone to take a course for just the CC like we do for the Enhanced Carry. If we did away with the fee DPS would be short 800k a year. That money would have to be made up somewhere.
Sounds like this group bashes everyone all the time, because that's how they raise money. Some regular commenters here are of a like mind and should join them. Call me old-fasioned but I still believe that good people can run for office and do good things there.
Does anyone actually think this group has 50,000 dues paying members in Mississippi?
Who are these people who keep murmuring about 'gun nuts' and what are the mental deficiencies that cause that level of angst?
What the hell is a 'gun nut'? Is it the polar opposite of the 20 something in Fondren who believes in gun confiscation, inability to own a firearm and making lists of prior owners?
Rabid dogs who bite their friends and family. Seeing the trifecta of tricorner hatted tards, McDenial. Watson, and Sojourner, none of this surprises me. Look at national coverage of Tom Cotton today. He'll simply be a boogeyman to help Hillary get elected. Grinnin'' from ear to ear at his self deluding genius.
KF is right.
Not only is legislation not written by legislators, most of them don't bother to read, much less understand, what they are voting to do.
Those few in government at the state and federal level who understood they had to , at some point, put the state or nation before the party have been " run off" by PACS funded by those who pay the lobbyists. Every party has become dependent on the money as campaign costs escalate out of control. And, the court system that provided a check, is now politicized as well.
To survive, a politician must walk in goose step with their party and make no mistake, The Tea Party has always been funded to take control of the GOP, not to be a part of the GOP.
But, the flaw in the popular political plan at use is the belief that the masses that have been lied to and manipulated can be controlled forever. The short term gains hoped and succeeding will end in long term disaster.
It's forgotten that when you corrupt societal institutions, those institutions are no longer trusted.
And, forgotten is that when you create a climate of constant fear and threat, you also create a population of people suffering from anxiety disorder and the inability to trust any institution at best and cultural paranoia ( see North Korea) , at worst.
This happens even when people know there is no efficiency to be found in the smallest business or government or professional or religious entity with which they deal daily. Still they can be led to believe that suddenly an super efficient entity can take away their guns or end Christianity or put their very lives at risk. Or , they believe conversely, that one party or one philosophy can erase all societal ills because humans will believe what they want desperately to be true.
Tyranny relies on creating out of control paranoia and the promise to end all which is feared. Then, you get one party government with first, leaders , then a supreme leader, who start to kill all those who don't drink the party poison.
" First you kill the lawyers" ( or corrupting or politicizing the legal system works as a bloodless alternative . In this often used quote , it's forgotten the Shakespearian characters were planning anarchy), kill ( or discredit) the intelligentsia, control the flow of information ( break the printing presses or just take them over or drown out the few rational voices ).
For a Hitler, a Stalin or ISIS to succeed, a climate of institutional and government failure and accompanying paranoia and chaos must exist.
And, that is where we are headed. It doesn't happen over night and not all " revolutions" end well...or haven't you noticed?
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