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Guns and The Fairness Doctrine

By: Brian Darling (Diary)  |  February 26th, 2009 at 06:09 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Kudos to Senators John Ensign (R-NV), John Thune (R-SD), Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Jim DeMint (R-SC) for using the bill to provide a vote in the House of Representatives to the District of Columbia to force votes today on expanding gun rights and trashing the idea of the federal government regulating the radio airwaves.  These senators used an unconstitutional bill to essentially treat the District of Columbia as a state to force votes on guns and free speech.

The Senate just passed the “Second Amendment Enforcement Act” offered by Senator Ensign to put in place a reasonable framework for law abiding citizens to own firearms in the District of Columbia.  Senator Coburn and Thune also offered pro gun amendments, but they were withdrawn in an effort allow a vote on the D.C gun measure.  The Ensign Amendment passed 62-36 with the strong bipartisan support of 22 Democrats and only one Republican voting no, Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN).  The Second Amendment rights of all Americans are still a popular issue with both Democrats and Republicans.  Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday discussed the Obama Administration’s intent to “reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.”  Holder may want to rethink that pledge in the wake of the vote on the Ensign Amendment today.

Senator Jim DeMint offered “The Broadcaster Freedom Amendment” to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from bringing back any part of the Fairness Doctrine and prevailed with 87 votes.  This vote should be a message to the FCC not to reinstate any incarnation of the Fairness Doctrine that would crack down on free speech on radio.  Conservatives should be happy that Senators Ensign, Coburn, Thune, and DeMint are fighting to preserve both the First and Second Amendments to the United States Constitution.

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  • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

    Keep an eye out for executive orders.

    These people in the administration are all fargin sneaky bastages and will try ANYTHING to get their way.

    We’re in for a bumpy ride at best.

    • DerKrieger

      Kudos for doing what’s right, but they should ALWAYS do what’s right. Maybe they can provide lessons to the rest of the GOP.

  • http://www.fredmaidment.com Fred Maidment

    …I disagree with the method.

    I believe all bills should be single-subject. If it’s the budget for the Defense Department, that’s the only thing that should be in the bill. No “poison pill” amendments, like one that would “amend Section so-and-so of the United States Code to [ban all private ownership of firearms].” No amendments spending $300,000 to renovate the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. No bans on gay marriage. Not even an amendment to buy 10 extra C-130s for the Air Force.

    The only thing that should be considered in a Defense Department budget bill should be the budget submitted by the Department of Defense.

    Period.

    • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon
    • Achance

      to rein in government than any other one thing. Sure, clever people could write page long titles, but those stick out like a sore thumb and attract attention.

    • DerKrieger

      If something is worth doing then there should be no need to sneak it into another bill. That’s plain fraud.

    • mdredstater

      taking something from the Dem playbook maybe will make the Dems think twice about pulling those kind of stunts in the future.

      • http://www.fredmaidment.com Fred Maidment

        I rather think that it will embolden the Dems to do it in the future. What’s good for the goose, after all…

        The fact is, the Dems will never question this practice. They’ll do it whether they are in power or not.

  • IJB

    Because they are America’s greatest enemies.

    • E Pluribus Unum

      Don’t sweat the details on this – they voted for this, knowing it will not survive the House.

      It just provides them political cover to run back to their states and crow about their sham vote.

      • IJB

        But, I want the names of the 17 worst, though – they indisputably qualify as truly evil.

      • Menlo

        My guess would be that they would prefer to write the rules themselves.

        Certainly if any of those who have praised the fairness doctrine before voted in the majority, it is very clearly a sham. At least 17 of them were honest.

  • Praying

    Which just passed 61 to 37 with 1 not voting. (Kennedy)
    The Republican’s who voted FOR this:
    Collins
    Specter
    Snowe (no surprises so far!)
    Hatch
    Lugar
    Voinovich (again, no real surprises)

    But, there were a few Democrats who voted NO:
    Baucus
    Byrd

    So, Red Staters. That’s the list. Please apply the appropriate pressure to reign the RINOs in.

    • roscopico

      So is expulsion an option (especially for the RINOs of the Northeast)?
      As time goes on, it will be increasingly obvious who is “right” and who is WRONG.
      These are the same who put their weight behind the terrible decisions which launched the socialist revolution… and remember them.
      We are in sad shape because the morons sold their souls. Their failure to hold steadfast to our ideology caused the voter backlash from which we now suffer. This is a war of ideology… and you should clean your own closet before you can clean your house. Let us clean house.

      • Praying

        By “Apply the appropriate pressure” I meant do whatever it takes. If they won’t conform they must be expelled – that one bad apple analogy.

    • Praying

      But I forgot to make my main point: This is blatantly unconstitutional. So what do we do now? Legal challenge? Force a constitutional amendment? We can’t just ignore this!!!!! Hello America. Is anyone home? Is anyone still alive in there? WAKE UP!!!

  • pilgrim

    Durbin Amdt. No. 591; To encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership, and to ensure that the public airwaves are used in the public interest.

    This is the sneaky backdoor way for them to hush Rush. This amendment passed 57 to 41 with all 57 Ds and all 41 Rs.

    • Praying

      I noticed that on the Senate votes result page (http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm) and I wasn’t sure how that related to the above mentioned bill by DeMint. So we really haven’t made any progress on this…

      • pilgrim

        However, this amendment is to a bill that should be deemed unconstitutional by SCOTUS.

    • http://www.fredmaidment.com Fred Maidment

      I’d like to know under what constitutional concept they can tell a businessman how many radio stations they can own in a particular market? Isn’t the right of property recognized and enshrined in our Constitution? As in, “no person shall be deprived of…?”

      If I own a radio station, it should be my right to own it, or sell it to whomever I wish, without the Feds getting involved. The right of property is the right to dispense of that property as I see fit without interference, so long as I don’t harm another, isn’t that right? How do I harm anyone if I sell my radio station to my biggest local competitor? How do I harm anyone if I own a majority of radio stations in a particular market?

      The simple answer is that I don’t. Just don’t tell that to the folks in Congress. They’re not interested in rights. They’re interested in power.

  • Scope

    I am laughing now at whoever it was here that suggested that we shouldn’t throw the 3 Renegades overboard because they vote with the Republicans on some major issues. This is justice against that opinion.

    • IJB

      At this point, I really think that Snowe & Collins should just switch parties and run as “moderate” Dems next time.

      Specter’s likely too stubborn to switch – he’ll have to be beaten.

  • DerKrieger

    Purely symbolic. How many gun crimes are committed with assault “style” weapons. I say style because it’s very hard to get even a semi-automatic weapon much less a full auto.

    Libs love their meaningless symbolism.

    • olsmithie

      and such bans have nothing to do with reducing crime.

      Crime reports and felon surveys showed that ?assault weapons? were used in only 1-2 percent of violent crimes before the ban; 42 crime victim surveys indicated the figure was 0.25 percent.43 In the 10 years before the ban, murders committed without guns outnumbered those with ?assault weapons? by about 37-to-1.44 Also, most crimes committed with such guns could be committed with other guns, and some could be committed without guns.45

      You can get the facts at:
      http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=238

      Regards

      REgards

    • http://www.fredmaidment.com Fred Maidment

      …if you have the money.

      Since full-auto made after the 1984 restrictions are illegal (except in very rare circumstances), they have largely become a plaything of the wealthy.

      As for semi-auto, the “assault weapons ban” had the dual effect of not banning many assault weapons and banning a whole host of weapons that weren’t assault weapons. Flash suppressors were banned on the basis of being “silencers,” when in fact they increase the pressure (and hence, the volume) of the muzzle blast. Lots of weapons were banned simply because they “looked scary.” It was absurd.

      God willing, such a thing will never be enacted again.

    • mbecker908

      For less than $2,000 a pop I can get you all the AR-15′s and/or AK47′s you’d like. All very legal, ordered tomorrow delivered Monday locally (Phoenix).

      If you have the appropriate tax stamp (<$500 and about six months of background investigation) I can get you the equivalent of a squad automatic weapon (5.5mm, full auto, M16 lower, SAW upper) for something like $25,000. Also legal. If you’ve got the stamp, I can get the gun in 24 hours.

      • http://www.fredmaidment.com Fred Maidment

        Get a Mini-14 for about $800 new. GBs can go for as little as that used. I saw a used, excellent condition Mini-14 for $479 a few weeks back. Wish I’d picked that up then…

        SKSs and some of the cheaper AKs can be had for as little as a couple hundred.

        And yet, they’re simply not used in most crime. Never have been.

        It’s astounding, and yet the libs are desperate to ban them…

        • Achance

          or become much more expensive in the near future. I have a 180 model (the original) Mini-14 that had the loving attention of a very good gunsmith way back in the ’70s. Let’s just say it is a very effective weapon for fire suppression or crowd control. I bought up a bunch of 20 round OEM magazines because they feed reliably. I have some pre-ban 30s but they don’t feed as well. I just had the local gunsmith do a thread on “muzzle brake.” It isn’t a flash hider because they are illegal, but it does limit the flash in the sight area pretty effectively. There is now essentially zero recoil, like shooting .22 shorts or something, but the weapon is MUCH louder to the shooter, so you want your ear protection. I got a few other needful things for it as well but I’ve kept it a nice friendly looking blued and wood “sporting” looking weapon, since the only thing the Lefties really know about guns is that the “bad” guns are black.

          Now to my black gun, well black and gray anyway. The Mossberg 500 12ga. is the home defender and argument ender. It’s the “marine” version with the adjustable composite stock. I got a new foregrip with picatinny rails for needful things. Among the needful things is a nice LED flashlight. I thought about the Surefire foregrip with the light, batts, and switches all built in, but, God, is that thing expensive! Got the Mossberg “ghost ring” sights, but I don’t see this being a slug weapon except when I take it on the boat for bear insurance. And, I got a KA – 1212 breacher-style muzzle brake. I’m not a big guy and 3″ 00 buck HURTS, so it’s nice to have a little less recoil from the 12 ga. As with the Mini-14, it makes the weapon much louder for the shooter. I don’t load 00 buck normally, but I have it when we go into bear country. For home defense, you’re better off with a multi-purpose load like a heavy, 8 pellet, bird shot; they don’t tear up the walls and furniture or tear into the neighbor’s house like buck but do plenty of the right sort of damage. And it has the usual stuff: extra shells on the stock, long sling, so it is the kind of weapon that anyone who has any sense or who isn’t carrying a much bigger gun should just back away from.

          Now I just have to figure out a place to hide them should that become necessary. I have others of a more mundane and socially acceptable sort as well as some pretty nice black powder. Actually, as long as I could get or make black powder, my P1853 .58 cal. Enfield rifled musket is a VERY effective weapon loaded with 90 grains of powder and a 450 grain minie.

          Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms … who’s bringing the chips?

          • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

            Everybody seems to have a “plinker” and mine is the old stand-by – Ruger 10/22 (The All-Weather model) with a 3>9 x 32mm scope and after-market sights (multiple extended mags and – yes, I’m lazy – a loader).

            Sig Arms – Sig Pro SP2022 (9mm) with an Insight M6X Light/Laser…… Multiple 15 rd mags, Blackhawk SERPA carbon fiber paddle and/or belt holster, custom synthetic shoulder holster.

            Kel-Tec P-11 (9mm) – it’s a cutie. ;) Custom ankle holster.

            Got a loader for the 9mm rounds too – UpLula.

            I have “a few” rounds for the 9′s and the 22LR.

            …..and for times when “Snap ! Clack !……. BLAM !!!!” is all that matters, a Remington 870 Express Synthetic – blacker than black (6 & 1) 12 gauge bangstick. Custom rail for accessories. Custom hard case. Assortment of shot shells ranging from all buck loadouts, to slugs and for hope-it’s-NEVER-need-it-in-close home defense, lower-recoil, lower-power shells with frangible pellets.

            ———

            I’m gonna go for another handgun – definitely a 9mm, definitely a Sig……….. may wait for the Sig 232 when it hits in May at a 9mm configuration (right now, it’s .380 only). I may just get another Sig Pro (great piece).

            Cheers !

          • Achance

            I only have two, both small backup type CQ weapons; a Walther PPK and a P-22 for my wife. I also have an 870 but I’ve kept it stock as a hunting gun and an H&K .375 also a hunting gun though not very useful here, not much big game here. Good for lots of things though. Kicks almost as bad as a 12 ga. Couple of smaller shotguns and a .22 as well.

            Handguns are pretty useless here, so I’ve never thought of them as anything but backup. If I’m in a defensive confrontation with either man or beast, my first choice is a shotgun. I view a rifle as pretty much an offensive weapon and a hunting weapon, another kind of offense, I guess. I’ve never troubled myself to learn to reload, something I hope I don’t regret.

            Hope it all just stays on my wall!

          • mbecker908

            <.5MA @ 2K. I can get you a pretty good deal – it’s a “competition” gun.

          • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

            One of these days I’d love one……… But only after I get real time in and good enough for long-range targeting practice.

          • Achance

            Nasty, nasty thing! Great Northern Guns in ANC has all sorts of guns and can give you access to all sorts more. Frankly, I don’t like big guns. Buddy of mine was broke back in the ’70s and sold me his .458 Weatherby for a song. I took that beast with the elephants on the cartridge box out moose hunting one time. I got my moose but I’m willing to be it hurt me more than him and he was DEAD! He died quick; my shoulder was sore for days. You wonder what you’re thinking when you can shake the cartridge and hear cordite sticks rattling inside it. Sold that thing for a nice profit to some guy who was going hunting in Africa. My .375 H & K is really more gun than I like and there’s nothing here to hunt with it. I keep it because I have it and it might be useful some day. For “big” rifles, I’m a 30.06 or .308 kinda guy. Kinda on the lookout for a nice Ruger M-77 as just a utility rifle.

        • mbecker908

          just that I could get you all you wanted. I was responding to the idea that a “semi-automatic was hard to get”. They’re not. And you’re absolutely right, you can pick them up for way under a thousand bucks.

          • Achance

            AR, M-15, M-4, or SAW in any town near a military base – like Anchorage.

          • mbecker908
          • Achance
          • JDidSaint
  • Achance

    If semi-auto is defined as firing by repeatedly pulling the trigger rather than reloading manually or working a bolt or pump. Assuming I had the money anyway; they’ve gotten really expensive.

  • katesmith

    Obama will regulate speech with a flourish of a pen, something he does a lot. It will come in ways that have been written about, probably not the FD. Think street agitators, court challenges, the usual things Community Organizers and lawyers do. It should be easy with the marshmallow ownership of radio stations today.