Earlier this month the Brady Bunch released a report which ranked the 50 states on the stance on Gun Control.

They ranked the states in several areas including:

1. Laws to Curb Firearm Trafficking
2. Background Checks
3. Child Safety
4. Assault Weapons Bands
5. Prevalence of “Gun Free” zones

Warner, over at STACLU did a nice little piece on this today - in fact reminding me that I did some comparisons that I should probably share.

Just out of curiosity, I decided to do some quick comparison. I took the Brady Report and compared it with the rates death due firearms. For the rates of death by firearm I used the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Report. Unfortunately, the latest report I could find that had a breakdown by state was 2003, so there is quite a gap between. However, given that the national average (which was available in the 2006 NVSR), has remained very similar to eh 2003 numbers, it is reasonable to assume we are not to far off.

So here is a simple table, comparing the Brady Report on the states with the most strict gun laws, and the CDC report of the states occurrence of Firearms related death. The state numbers are per 100,000 residents, so it is adjusted for population.

It should be noted that all Firearms death’s are included in the CDC numbers, which include homicide, suicide, and accidental death (self and other).

It is also interesting to note that the Brady Bunch did not include the District of Columbia in its finding. DC would probably have ranked number 1 in the list especially in like of the current Supreme Court Case, and it also ranks number 1 on my list of the highest number of gun related deaths per capita, a full 7.4 pts above its nearest competitor.

So, what do these statistics show us? While there is some merit (outside of the DC case stated above) that living in a state with freer gun laws results in more gun related fatalities, it is not quite so clear cut. Keeping DC out of the consideration, all of the main regions where firearms deaths are most likely to occur are areas with the lowest population density (Alaska, Louisana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada). Also, many of the most restrictive states are also high on the gun death list (Maryland, California, Illinois). I thought about maping the chart above to states with CCW laws, and then rank by population density - but I will leave that for the experts.

What I really need to prove this out is recent data on crime related firearms deaths. The earliest data I have that separates out crime and accidental deaths is from 1993, and that is not valid because we know, from the US Department of Justice statistics that gun crime has fallen drastically since 1993. So, basically, the Brady list is pointless. The gap between the worst on there list (Oklahoma) and the best (California) is only 3 points, or 3 deaths in 100,000 people.

The Captain and Michell Malkin have kicked off call for bloggers to deminstrate solidarity with the Danish Newspapers who have demonstrated solidarity with Kurth Westergaad and Jyllands-Posten today.

First, lets get up to date on the story as I have not been blogging on this much. From CNN:

Newspapers across Europe Wednesday reprinted the controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked worldwide protests two years ago.

The move came one day after Danish authorities arrested three people allegedly plotting a “terror-related assassination” of Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist behind the drawing.

Berlingske Tidende, was one of the newspapers involved in the republication by newspapers in Denmark. It said: “We are doing this to document what is at stake in this case, and to unambiguously back and support the freedom of speech that we as a newspaper always will defend,” in comments reported by The Associated Press.

Newspapers in Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands also republished the drawing Wednesday as part of their coverage of Tuesday’s arrests.

Excellent - it is about time Europe stood up to the Islamic sheeple that clogs there streets and is just waiting for an excuse to start killing, burning, and pillaging.

Sadly, American newpapers are not yet picking this up. So, if they are not, the US Bloggosphere will

In solidarity with the European newspapers, here is the cartoon that has caused so much damage, distruction, and killing. All because of intolerance on the part of “The Religion of Peace”.

This is a list (soon to be very partial) of the many many plogs participating in this solidarity movement:
The Blog from the Core

Michelle Malkin
Face of Muhammad
Little Green Footballs
Barcepundit here and here
Slapstick Politics here and here
Wade’s Inn

JamulBlog
Sobekpundit’s photoshop
Southchild
Bastiat Says No
Scrappy O’Leary
Queer Conservative
FreeBornJohn

Willamette PI
Six Conservative Guys
Adventures of Prissy
Liberty Bell
Bbmoo’s relations
Joe Gringo
Little Red Soapbox
Combat medic in Iraq

Holstein Grove
Frog Blog
Noonz Wire
Samir K
Extreme Centre
Out of the Valley
DANEgerus
RJ Lippincott
Steve Janke II

Flagrant Harbour
My Side of the Couch
Don Singleton
Ed Morrissey
The Politburo Diktat
Transformed View
Thoughts of a regular guy
Kathy Shaidle
TJIC.com

Emily Zanotti
Andy MacDonald
Lifelike Pundits
Tales of a Wandering Mind
Church of Entropy
Two Babes and a Brain
Magnificat
The Citizen Journal
Wikipedia

Riehl World View
Savage Republican
Born Again Redneck
Don Miguel de la Piedra
Jihad Watch
Neal Boortz
WAmbulance
Michael Graham
Texas Rainmaker

Right Wing Nation
A Conservative Force
Wide Awake Cafe
Black Sheep Cafe
Robot Guy
commentary.co.za
Y-2-Dray 4-Ever
tjic.com
Western Critic

Air Force Pundit
Small Wars Journal
You Talk About
Mr Minority
Michigan Blog
Industrial Blog
Inside Larry’s Head
Been there, done that

Right Number One
Drinking From Home
Civil Commotion
Marvin’s Word
American Lights
Klein’s Quips
Peenie Wallie
Limburg Letter

Scipio the Metalcon
JamulBlog
Bear to the Right
Dangerous Dan
WunderKraut.com
Posse Incitatus
Harleys, Cars, Girls, & Guitars
Left wing = Hate

Holstein Grove
The Noonz Wire
GOP and the City
Flagrant Harbour
The Political Pit Bull
Atlas Blogged
Random Thoughts Of Yet Another Military Member
FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog
Don Singleton

Rocket’s Brain Trust
Jessica’s Well
TacJammer
Angry in the Great White North
UrbanRepublican
Dr. Sanity
Darleen’s Place

Bill’s House O Insomnia
House of the Dog
Freedom Folks
Small Town Veteran
A Blog For All
Church and State
Inside Larry’s Head
Free Constitution

This isn’t writing, it’s typing
Rattrap’s Rants
Hard Talk
Citizen Journal
Iowa Voice
Sugar Ray Dodge
NoisyRoom.net
Black Sheep Press

Red hot cuppa politics
CDR Salamander
A geezer’s corner
Deep Keel
And THAT is MY Opinion…
Palmetto Pundit
Void Where Prohibited
Super Fun Power Hour

Striderweb
Oscar Poppa
Peaceful Display of Tolerance and Love
Stuck on Stupid
RightWinged.com
Mike’s Noise
The Johnsville News
Truth Is Stranger

Irons in the Fire
Occasus Pars Clamo
The Citizen Journal
Freedom Eden
Fifth Virginia
Celestial Junk
The Trading Post
Doc Weasel
Bookworm Room
Snapped Shot

In a fit of good sense, the Democratic lead senate passed (in a 68 to 29 vote) a bill to grant amnesty to companies, like AT&T, who provided wiretapping and other services to the US Government without a warrant. In effect the bill legalizes the wiretapping programs which President Bush has been pushing all along, the same programs that the ACLU has been having a fit over.

From Wired:

The 68 to 29 vote is a major step in radically re-configuring 30 year-old limits on how the nation’s spying services operate inside America’s borders. The vote also deals a severe blow to civil liberties groups that are suing companies such as AT&T and Verizon for turning over millions of American’s phone records to the government, and for helping the government wiretap American’s phone and internet communications without a court order.

The bill, which expires in six years, allows the government to install permanent wiretapping outposts in telephone and internet facilities inside the United States without a warrant. However, if those wiretaps are used to target Americans inside or outside of the country, the government would have to get a court order. However, if the target is a foreigner or a foreign corporation, and they call an American or an American calls them, no warrant is required.

The next step is to reconcile the Senate and House bill - given the differences, that may not be a quick process.

Naturally the ACLU has already posted is condemnation:

The American Civil Liberties Union today slammed the U.S. Senate for not only authorizing the president’s warrantless wiretapping program but for granting immunity to his accomplices, the telecommunications companies.

[…]

“The Senate had multiple opportunities to improve this atrocious bill and failed at every turn,” said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Several amendments were offered to increase privacy protections, with many of them allowing for warrantless surveillance during emergency situations. It’s stunning that senators wouldn’t put their support behind amendments so fundamentally balanced. Protecting Americans’ communications from pervasive and ill-defined surveillance goes to the very heart of the Fourth Amendment. Unfortunately, the Senate seemed determined to pass the least constitutional FISA bill possible.”

It must be frustrating when the bought politicians don’t stay bought. By my quick math, at least 19 democrats must have voted for this bill. That is even if Lieberman and Sanders (Independents) voted against it.

While domestic spying is something we need to keep a very tight leash on, this bill is good. It requires that the parties being spyed upon, without a warrant, are not US citizens. The ACLU’s belief that American rights extend to non-Americans is ludicrous.

The House version of the bill is much more restrictive, so it remains to see how the two will be reconciled.

Also Reporting:
Stop The ACLU

The Washington Post is reporting that Imad Mughniyeh, considered to be rived in his killing of American’s only by Osama bi Laden, was killed this morning in Damascus Syria.

Imad Mughniyeh, a senior but shadowy Hezbollah commander accused by the United States and Israel of masterminding suicide bombings, hijackings and hostage-taking that spanned 25 years, was killed by a car bomb in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the Shiite Muslim group and other officials said Wednesday.
Hezbollah accused Israel of carrying out the attack on Mughniyeh. A spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Mark Regev, said Olmert’s office had no comment.

The elusiveness of Mughniyeh, the target of several assassination attempts and kidnappings by the United States and Israel, rivaled only that of Osama bin Laden and stretched over many more years. Until Sept. 11, 2001, the attacks for which the United States blamed him represented some of the deadliest strikes against Americans. Along with bin Laden, he was included on the list of 22 “most wanted terrorists” released by President Bush a month after the Sept. 11 attacks.

He is probably wondering, right now, where his 17 virgins are. There was a $25M FBI bounty on his head - I hope someone gets to claim it.

In case the name Imad Mughniyeh dosn’t ring any bells, here is a list of some of the murder that is attached to his name:

1983: First Bombing of the US Embassy in Beiruit Lebanon (60 killed)
1983: Hommicide bombing of the Beriut Lebanon US Marine barracks (241 killed)
1984: Second Bombing of US Embassy in Beruit Lebanon (24 killed)
1985: Mastermind of the brutal hijacking of a TWA flight to Rome (1 killed)
1992: Bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (28 killed)
1994: Bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina (87 killed)
1996: Bombing of the Khobar Towers US Air Force Barracks in Saudi Arabia (19 killed)

Mughniyeh has been on the run all of his life, probably living in caves and hiding for his very life, like this buddy Osama.

Naturally Hezbollah, calls the terrorist and martyr. From Hezbollah’s own website:

With pride and honor, we announce the martyrdom of a great resistance leader who joined the procession of Islamic Resistance martyrs. After a life full of Jihad, sacrifices and accomplishments lived with a longing to martyrdom, Islamic Resistance leader Hajj Imad Moghniyeh (Hajj Radwan) was assassinated by “Israeli” criminal hands. The martyr, may his soul rest in peace, had been a target for the Zionists for more than 20 years. Almighty Allah has chosen him to be a martyr on the hands of His Prophet’s killers who know that we have a long battle with them and the blood of martyrs especially our leaders has always taken our resistance to a higher and stronger level, just like when our two great leaders, Sheikh Ragheb Harb and Sayyed Abbas Moussawi were martyred.
We pledge to continue the martyr’s path until achieving complete victory, God willing.

What a bunch of complete, homicidal, nut-jobs. I hope the Israeli and US Military is able to speed the reunion of these pigs with “Allah”. Any religion that turns its followers into expendable pawns is contemptuous, corrupt, and evil.

Fortunately, I know how the story ends - and there will be justice.

Also Reporting:
American Pundit
Captains Quarters
Hot Air
A Blog for All
The Jawa Report
The Pirates Cove
OTB

My Father Passed this one along to me this morning, and I thought it worth sharing.

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it’s about control.
5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
8. If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any.
9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
10. What part of “shall not be infringed” do you not understand?
11. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
12. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
13. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
14. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
15. You don’t shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
16. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
17. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
18. Criminals love gun control; it improves their job safety.
19. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
20. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
21. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
22. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don’t make more.
23. When you remove the people’s right to bear arms, you create slaves.
24. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.
25. If the government fears the people there is liberty, if the people fear the government there is tyranny.

“Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”
~ Thomas Jefferson