Gun Nut Roundup May 2010

Arizona Goes Vermont

On April 16th Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a bill making Arizona the third state to allow peaceable citizens to carry firearms, concealed or openly, without requiring a permit. The Grand Canyon State follows Vermont and Alaska in implementing such a policy, but Arizona is the most populous state to do so. If past is prologue, we can expect that there will not only be no major increases in violent crime, but street crime will probably go down.

Way to go Arizona, you've won an approving nod from Ben and Bawb. Enjoy it!

Iowa Goes "Shall Issue"

On April 29th Iowa Governor Debt Culver scratched his "x" on legislation changing Iowa from a state that "may issue" a firearms carry permit to applicants to a state that "shall issue" to qualified applicants. The bill would also grant permit reciprocity with other states, increase the term of the permit to five years, and allow an appeals process for denied permits. The new law goes into effect January 1st 2011.

NRA-ILA executive director Chris W. Cox said, “This is a major victory for law-abiding gun owners in Iowa. Concealed carry permits should not be granted on a subjective basis using an indiscernible set of criteria.”

El Presidente Calls For an "Assault" on the Second Amendment

In May, Mexican president Jose "Chi-Chi" Martinez (or whatever) called on the U.S. Congress to reinstate the failed federal ban on so-called "assault weapons." Since the Mexican government is getting its ass kicked by violent drug cartels, the Second Amendment freedoms of Americans make for a convenient scapegoat to blame their own failings on. The Mex-Pres tried to blame crime in his country on the expiration of the ban. Never mind that violent crime in the U.S. has gone down since the nonsensical ban expired in 2004 and that Mexican murder rates have actually remained at about the same (atrocious) level since then.

Upon hearing the Mexican president's works, New York Representative Carolyn McCarthy snapped her heels together, saluted and said, "Yes, my presidente!" In contrast, Ben and Bawb hoisted their middle fingers and shouted, "Bite us!"