An environmental group is singling out a gun-rights group in Newtown, Conn., for opposing repossession of guns from the mentally ill and elimination of lead in bullets.
In a statement yesterday, the Center for Biological Diversity noted that National Shooting Sports Foundation, considered the second-most powerful gun-rights lobby behind the NRA, is located “just three miles” from Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman Friday.
The Center said the foundation has “a long history of extremist positions on guns,” referring to a California bill last year that didn’t just keep the mentally ill from owning guns, but legislated how background check fees can be disbursed.
Opponents included every gun-rights group from the NRA to Safari Club International.
But the environmentalists singled out the Newtown group for pushing legislation, introduced in September by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), to ban the Environmental Protection Agency from eliminating lead in bullets.
“Elimination of lead from bullets would prevent 14,000 tons of this toxic heavy metal from being shot into America’s forests and fields every year, where it poisons some 20 million birds and mammals,” the Center said.
“Extremist groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation have blocked even the most modest, reasonable gun violence and environmental health reforms,” said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “This insanity has to stop. A gun lobby that supports lead poisoning and opposes funding to confiscate guns from the mentally ill is not just irrational, it’s dangerous. We got lead out of paint, gasoline and children’s toys — now we need to get it out of bullets and get deadly guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.”
The foundation put up a short statement on its website Friday. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this horrible tragedy in our community,” it said. “Out of respect for the families, the community and the ongoing police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment or participate in media requests at this time.”
Hello?! Lead exists in nature, you know.
I’d ask, “where do the find these nuts,” but I’m afraid someone will actually tell me.
The NSSF center was 3 miles away? Too bad it wasn’t located right on the grounds of the school, maybe some gun totin’ bitter clinger would have blown the nutbag shooter away before he killed 26 people.
What do you mean, the police arrived within 20 minutes. And they are the only ones who could respond, it being a federal crime for anyone else to carry or discharge a firearm in a federal “gun-free” school zone. So action by a bitter-clinger would get them 5 years in federal prison. Congress wanted the children helpless and alone. Citizens are not permitted to step into the breach to fill the gaps due to the police being limited by the laws of physics, i.e., time-speed-distance.
If having a gun in a school zone is a federal crime, shouldn’t they have waited for the FBI?
The reason why “reasonable” measures can’t be done is because one simply can’t trust the left to stop from trying for unreasaonable measures once they ave their nose in the door. That in other words, the left is not to be trusted, for they never seem to rest from pursuing their final goals, but are often enough jot upfron about them.
If the Center for Biological Diversity would care to put down a cash bond saying they believe in the right of the citizenry to keep and bear arms, now and forever, and will fight on the side of the right if gun confiscation or prohibition for the populace at large is ever an issue (as it soon might be), then they should be listened to. Otherwise, what they are saying should be dismissed as just another incremental step towards a desired goal of the left, the abnegation of a right that liberals have no desire for but others do.
Which is standard for liberals. Only that they cherish will be allowed to be cherished, only that they worship will be worshipped. The rest of us will obey.
Well, no.
In English, “jot upfron” is translated from the Old Nossican as “not upfront”. Apologies.
Does the “Center for Biological Diversity” object to the volume of estrogens being dumped into the environment by birth control pill users?
I’m curious, is this particular group currently backing the Green agenda while simultaneously lambasting gun owners?
You know, the Green agenda that mandates incandenscent bulbs be banned and we all go to those uglya$$ curly tailed flourescent thingies that contain….drumroll please….frickin’ MERCURY?
God I despise environuts…
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the logic behind why an environmental group would comment on a gun related issue.
Oh, wait a minute. I know why; to exploit a tragedy so as to get some free press to their otherwise enviro-nazi arguments.