PA Bill Number: HB335

Title: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons.

Description: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons. ...

Last Action: Removed from table

Last Action Date: May 1, 2024

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Rubio nailed it about criminals and gun control :: 09/18/2015

Well into last night’s three-hour Republican donnybrook, which appeared to have been crafted to turn out that way by CNN, Sen. Marco Rubio simply nailed it on the question of gun control, and it was a remark that far too many of his Capitol Hill colleagues, especially on the other side of the aisle, don’t get.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio took less than 30 seconds to explain the greatest problem with gun control during last night's Republican presidential debate on CNN.

“First of all,” Rubio stated matter-of-factly, “the only people that follow the law are law abiding people. Criminals, by definition, ignore the law, so you can pass all the gun laws in the world — like the left wants — (and) criminals are going to ignore it because they are criminals.”

Send the man from Florida to the head of the class. It was the kind of statement that should be carved into the marble above the doorway to the Senate chambers, where everybody passing through would be forced to read it.

It’s what Second Amendment activists and leaders have been saying for years while the likes of Martin O’Malley, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, Dianne Feinstein and other would-be gun grabbers have adopted the belief that the only way to disarm bad guys is to first disarm good guys. They waste time pontificating about so-called “common sense” gun control when genuine common sense lays it out plainly, as did Sen. Rubio.

A lengthy piece in The Trace yesterday by Alex Yablon underscored the disconnect people seem to have on the issue of gun control; something this column touched on yesterday, discussing the CNN/ORC International gun control survey released earlier this week. While the survey shows continuing strong support for background checks on gun sales, it also revealed that many, if not a majority, of people don’t really think they keep guns out of the hands of criminals and crazy people.

This raises a challenging but necessary question. If you don’t think something is really going to work, why support it?

There was not really much in last night’s program that related directly to the Second Amendment – Sen. Ted Cruz reminded the audience that he got support from Gun Owners of America for his strong defense of the right to keep and bear arms, and Jeb Bush favored family intervention to keep guns away from mentally unstable people – but there was not a lengthy discussion. Maybe CNN was more interested in keeping candidates at each other’s throats than in providing a platform for them to discuss civil rights and guns, though gun control is a major issue these days.

It will remain on the front burner especially now that Carey Gabay, the former aide to anti-gun New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has died a week after suffering a head wound in a senseless early morning Labor Day shooting spree. By all accounts, Gabay was a rising star with much on his horizon, but some thug – the kind of lawbreaker to whom Rubio alluded last night – stopped all of that. No suspects have yet been arrested.

Social media is discussing Rubio’s remark this morning. He may not be a front runner, but the young senator’s comment earned some traction in the firearms community. It’s the kind of wisdom that last night’s national audience gets far too little of, some might suggest.

MEANWHILE, another bright star has faded. Frank W. James, a name known and respected in the firearms fraternity, passed away Tuesday evening at his home in Indiana. He was 69.

James was a prolific and knowledgeable authority on firearms, having written countless articles and five books. He was not only a “gunwriter,” he was an experienced outdoorsman and a farmer with a degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University, according to this morning’s Outdoor Wire.

This column learned of James’ passing Wednesday evening. Since then, social media has erupted with remarks from fans and friends. By all accounts, James was a gentleman from the “old school” and he will be sorely missed.

A private family service will be held and memorials may be made to the Valerie Victoria James “Don’t Quit” 4H Scholarship, c/o White County Extension Office in Reynolds, Indiana. James actually started that 4H shooting sports program for White County.

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