Alert: Michigan Moms and Activists Say No to 'Shoot First' Bill, Will Attend Hearing

[Knimrod]

Michigan Moms and Activists Say No to 'Shoot First' Bill, Will Attend Hearing Tuesday
4/17/2006 4:41:00 PM

<hr>
To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor

Contact: Peter Hamm in Washington DC, 202-898-0792; Sherri Masson in Michigan, 248-613-1840; Carolynne Jarvis, 517-321-0195

News Advisory:

Michigan Million Mom March Chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence On-Target Coalition

Despite the strong opposition of prosecutors and newspaper editorial boards, some Michigan legislators are still trying to pass a gun lobby bill that would empower bullies and gang members to use deadly force in public if they can argue that they felt threatened.

Activists with the Michigan Million Mom March Chapters and the Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence On-Target Coalition plan to attend a hearing of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee Tuesday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 521 of the House Office Building in Lansing. They will be available for media comment on the legislation, which first became law in Florida last year.

The Tampa Tribune newspaper last week reported that the law "has been mentioned as a potential defense for a truck driver who shot an unarmed car owner, for a man who allegedly started a fight and then shot his opponent, and in a gang confrontation that resulted in two deaths."

"We as adults lose all credibility with youth in trying to teach them to use non-violent problem solving methods when state government is urging and empowering adults to be on the spot judge, jury and executioner," said Carolynne Jarvis, executive director of the Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence On- Target Coalition.

"This legislation is opposed by prosecutors and leading police chiefs because it's a terrible idea," said Sherri Masson, vice president of the Michigan Million Mom March Chapters. "The bill is an unnecessary solution to an non-existent problem -- no one's in jail here for acting in legitimate self-defense. And the only people who will benefit from this type of law are people who ought to be in jail."


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Link to press release (http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=64111)

[Batman]

Sherri Masson, vice president of the Michigan Million Mom March Chapters. "The bill is an unnecessary solution to an non-existent problem -- no one's in jail here for acting in legitimate self-defense.

Maybe someone should break into Sherri's house, cut themselves on the broken window, trip over the coffee table and smash their head on her UN Flag stand. Then sue the **** out of her for a million bucks for creating an unsafe home to rob. Maybe then after she spends $50,000 defending herself will she understand what this is really all about. :banghead:

[keyjockey]

Michigan Moms and Activists Say No to 'Shoot First' Bill, Will Attend Hearing Tuesday
4/17/2006 4:41:00 PM

.........
Despite the strong opposition of prosecutors and newspaper editorial boards, some Michigan legislators are still trying to pass a gun lobby bill that would empower bullies and gang members to use deadly force in public if they can argue that they felt threatened.



What a bunch of crap.

....Empower bullies and gang members? That's what she's calling you, folks.

...Opposition of prosecutors and newspaper editorial boards? Why should I care if a newspaper editorial board opposes anything? Oh I forgot, they're smarter than us "average" people.

[Ken D]

How do these clowns consider it reporting when they simply publish another idiot's press release?

And they wonder why "journalism" is no longer respected as a career. Why read some liberal nuttjob's opinion when you can see the video on Fox News?

[Divegeek]

In one of the Detroit papers the other day, there was an article talking about how some people want to make the test to become a US citizen harder. In the article they printed some sample questions with the answers. At least one of them was wrong. The question was who is next in line for succesion to the Presidency should both the President and VP die? The answer that they printed was "Secretary of State." The correct answer of course is "Speaker of the House."

My whole point is that these journalists can't be bothered to fact check their own stories any more so why bother even writing one when it is so much easier to just print something you are handed, so long as it matches your political agenda.

[appliancebrad]

After the hearing yesterday, the Brady Bunch was all gathered around the tv cameras. No one approached any of us for questions or a quote. So much for balanced reporting.

[glockgirl]

In one of the Detroit papers the other day, there was an article talking about how some people want to make the test to become a US citizen harder. In the article they printed some sample questions with the answers. At least one of them was wrong. The question was who is next in line for succesion to the Presidency should both the President and VP die? The answer that they printed was "Secretary of State." The correct answer of course is "Speaker of the House."

My whole point is that these journalists can't be bothered to fact check their own stories any more so why bother even writing one when it is so much easier to just print something you are handed, so long as it matches your political agenda.


I thought it was The Secretary of State followed by the Secretary of Treasury followed by the Secrectary of Defense? We had to learn like 10 places past the VP. But 3 is all I have room for in my head...:P

[Kimber45]

According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1792, the Senate president pro tempore1 was next in line after the vice president to succeed to the presidency, followed by the Speaker of the House.

In 1886, however, Congress changed the order of presidential succession, replacing the president pro tempore and the Speaker with the cabinet officers. Proponents of this change argued that the congressional leaders lacked executive experience, and none had served as president, while six former secretaries of state had later been elected to that office.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947, signed by President Harry Truman, changed the order again to what it is today. The cabinet members are ordered in the line of succession according to the date their offices were established.

Prior to the ratification of the 25th Amendment in 1967, there was no provision for filling a vacancy in the vice presidency. When a president died in office, the vice president succeeded him, and the vice presidency then remained vacant. The first vice president to take office under the new procedure was Gerald Ford, who was nominated by Nixon on Oct. 12, 1973, and confirmed by Congress the following Dec. 6.

* The Vice President Richard Cheney
* Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
* President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens
* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
* Secretary of the Treasury John Snow
* Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
* Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
* Secretary of the Interior (Vacant)
* Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
* Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez2
* Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao3
* Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt
* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
* Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshio Mineta
* Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
* Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
* Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
* Secretary of Homeland Security4 Michael Chertoff

[taurus92]

back to the thread...




http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060420/NEWS06/604200485

Detroit schoolteacher Neva Li, who is white, said she believes a black person who shoots in self-defense in a white community stands a far greater chance of being charged with a crime than a white person who does the same in a black community.


Now why the he!! did we need to bring race into this? And as a rebuttal I would say yeah right especially if it was a white cop shooting a black person charges would be filed before the end of the day... stupid comment Neva

[cliffd]

back to the thread...

Now why the he!! did we need to bring race into this? And as a rebuttal I would say yeah right especially if it was a white cop shooting a black person charges would be filed before the end of the day... stupid comment Neva

I suspected that this quote was ripped from a discussion that was not reported completely or accurately so I asked Neva to explain.

Her reply:


That quote is only half right - I actually made the same point in both directions - something like, [I was shocked to see race brought in as an issue and that] I teach school in Detroit and live in Royal Oak, and that I believe a resident from either area, forced to defend themselves in the other area, would have problems due to the wide variance in political climate. I said that I believed the Bills would codify and go a long way toward guaranteeing parity for anyone who must defend themselves.

But no, I didn't start that whole train of thought - a woman who, I believe, was named Donna Dinges (Dingus, whatever) stated in Committee testimony that she felt that the Bills were racist and only looking to set loose a bunch of vigilantes on her community.

I suspect I'm going to take a flaming for this one, though.... ah, well...

[glockgirl]

* Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
* President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens



It's funny, the teacher I had left out the two above. Even the book we had was incorrect then (and this was a college course). Wonder what else I missed :P (and no I wasn't asleep-Daydreaming MAYBE, but definately not asleep) 8)

[bassplayer]

(sic)...

* The Vice President Richard Cheney
* Speaker of the House John Dennis Hastert
* President pro tempore of the Senate1 Ted Stevens
* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
* Secretary of the Treasury John Snow
* Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
* Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
* Secretary of the Interior (Vacant)
* Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns
* Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez2
* Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao3
* Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt
* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson
* Secretary of Transportation Norman Yoshio Mineta
* Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman
* Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
* Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson
* Secretary of Homeland Security4 Michael Chertoff

As long as Kennedy isn't on that list, I'll be happy.


As a side note to the brady bunch, I passed through Florida on I-75 last Sunday (Easter) and saw their billboard about the "hold your ground" law in Florida. I thought this was funny because there were actual bullet holes in the billboard sign :) :) :) :)