Washington Post more Misinformation... Ms Buzzbee Debate Me
Gregory Kielma • November 17, 2023
Washington Post In Full Politicized Vulture Mode With Publication Gory Mass Shooting Picture
By
Jennifer Sensiba
November 17, 2023
Says FFL, Firearms Instructor and Gunsmith Kielma, Ms. Buzzbe, we can talk anytime and let's go on record and figure this out. Call me and let’s set up a day. Email; is good as well. kielmagregory@gmail.com
Kielma
continues, remember the picture above.
After recent mass shootings, I’ve seen a particularly unhinged request in comments sections: publish images of the dead. It seemed for months like nobody was going to answer that ugly call, but after warnings from some of the victims’ parents, the Washington
Post ran a non-paywalled post yesterday doing just that. I will not be sharing links to it, but it shows a lot of bloody images of school shootings and other attacks. One photo included showed bodies left behind after the Las Vegas shooting.
The media, of course, has every right to do this. The images are mostly taken from law enforcement evidence and those that were published were obtained by WaPo lawfully.
But just because you can legally do something doesn’t mean it’s morally right. Particularly when you do it as selectively and cynically as the Washington Post has. The Post has published only photos from shootings carried out by killers with AR-15 rifles. It’s chosen images designed to shock in a clearly politicized attempt to whip up opposition to “assault weapon” ownership.
The fact that shootings with ARs constitutes a tiny minority of all shootings in America — even using the inflated numbers cited by the WaPo from the debunked Gun Violence Archive — didn’t warrant a mention by the paper. The implication here is that that the aftermaths of shootings committed with ARs are somehow more bloody or shocking than those carried out with other weapons like shotguns, handguns, knives, or bombs.
That, of course, is false. But the Post’s editors had a cynical political point to make and didn’t care about the effect the published photos might have on victims’ families or survivors.
Parents’ Opposition
The only reason we knew ahead of time that the Washington Post was going to publish this activist stunt was that many of the parents and relatives of the shooting victims expressed their opposition on social media.
Here’s a tweet from Kimberly Garcia, a parent of a child who died at Uvalde, begging social media users to not look at the images and to not share them. I chose to honor her request and did not include links in this article.
Phillips revealed the date of publication and said she knew why WaPo intended to do it. They supposedly want the public to “better understand the trauma” associated with these shootings so that the public can know what it’s like to be a victim of them or a responder who has to deal with them.
A responsible newspaper does not publish such upsetting images lightly, but doing so showcases the destructive force of the AR-15 in a way words fail to do.
The fact remains that the Washington Post knows that the families and friends of the dead will suffer emotional harm from the publication of these photos. That’s clear from their attempt to reach out to give them a “heads up.”
But none of that ultimately mattered. The Post concluded that the political and potential anti-gun benefits of publishing the images outweighed any trauma and harm they might do to the shooting victims’ parents and survivors.
People Already Understand
Make no mistake…these images were released under a false pretext. Just about everyone knows the pain of losing a loved one. Almost everyone has lost a loved one, whether it was a grandparent when you were a child or a parent when you were older. Whatever age you might be, you’ve probably lost friends and family to accidents or illness. . Some of us have witnessed death first-hand.
But because journalists generally do not have access to crime scenes and news organizations rarely if ever publish graphic content, most Americans have no way to understand the full scope of an AR-15’s destructive power or the extent of the trauma inflicted on victims, survivors and first responders when a shooter uses this weapon on people.
Releasing gory images, however, doesn’t improve our ability to empathize with those who’ve lost their loved ones. We already know what it’s like to lose people close to us. That pain runs just as deep whether the cause of death was old age, cancer, or a deranged killer who took them from us.
That I had to take a break from writing after typing that last paragraph (and you may have needed a break after reading it) is proof enough that most of us know what it’s like already. We get it. We understand completely.
In the end, we decided that there is public value in illuminating the profound and repeated devastation left by tragedies that are often covered as isolated news events but rarely considered as part of a broader pattern of violence.
The goal here, however, wasn’t to increase understanding or empathy, let alone illumination. The Post didn’t include photos of the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting (32 dead, handguns), an average weekend in Chicago (scores shot, double digit fatalities, also using handguns), or the University of Idaho stabbings, or the Wisconsin parade attack (SUV).
The goal here was to shock people into supporting gun control laws, possibly another “assault weapons” ban. The bloody images were published to get people in a mental state where they suspend their critical thinking skills and are open to the idea that limits on gun rights will solve the problem. It’s an intentionally deceptive, manipulative assault on the human mind and soul designed to create a political opening that statism can exploit.
This Is The Behavior Of Vultures, Not Humans
When a death happens in the desert, it isn’t long at all before the ecosystem gets to work recycling the materials that once enabled life. Why? Because nature is a brutal place. If an animal doesn’t take advantage of every opportunity for sustenance, that animal will themselves be dead before too long. Vultures specialize in this and have excellent vision in order to spot such opportunities from high in the air.
But, as humans, this is not our way. We aren’t made and/or evolved to seek out the dead and take advantage of them. It’s in our nature to care about each other, even after they’re gone. We honor our dead and remember them instead of looking for ways to use and take advantage of them.
The fact of gun control’s failure has driven the so-called journalists at the Washington Post to this kind of ghoulish desperation. They’re behaving more like members of the Donner Party, using the dead to benefit themselves and further their own interests. They’re so invested in civilian disarmament that they’ll do anything to try to revive their cause, no matter the cost to the people who were affected or their own humanity.
If I legally carry a firearm and someone is robbing a store I'm in, can I draw the weapon if the robber has a knife? If no shots are fired, is this legal? From Jim Z an avid reader of the blog. It depends on your political climate in your state, and the laws where this takes place. Let’s use New York City: You’re carrying a firearm. Do you have a NYC-issued permit to do so? If not, you just bagged yourself five years in jail. NYC recognizes NO OTHER firearms permit, even those issued by New York STATE, as valid, within city limits. You brought a GUN to a KNIFE fight. You’re using a MORE deadly weapon than your opponent. That’s known as “escalation of force”, and it kills any futile attempt you make at a self-defense plea. You DREW your gun. You committed “menacing with a deadly weapon”, even though NEITHER of you did ANYTHING . Because YOU have a GUN , and HE has only a KNIFE, YOU are the guilty party. Using a weapon of ANY kind, except for your bare hands, to defend yourself, is illegal in New York City, thanks to many decades of Democrat rule, and the mindless citizens that keep voting them into office.
Bradenton man cleared of assault charge using ‘stand your ground’ defense Credit: WWSB Sarasota/Bradenton Florida BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Charges have been dismissed against a Bradenton man accused of starting a gunfight that wounded his girlfriend and himself during a domestic dispute, Manatee County Court Judge Frederick Mercurio accepted Kevin Armstrong’s “Stand Your Ground” defense Monday and will dismiss the charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Mercurio ruled that Armstrong’s fear of harm was well-founded, even if his actions were not the wisest. “The better practice would have been for you to call the police, stay in your house and not go out there with a gun,” Mercurio said. “My legal conclusion is that Mr. Armstrong was reasonably believing that be needed to use or threatened to use force in order to prevent is imminent death or his great bodily harm.” Armstrong’s attorney, Jon Weiffenbach, told ABC7 Monday that the charges will be dismissed as soon as the court enters an order. “For all intents and purposes, this case is over,” he told ABC7 via email. The arrest report According to the arrest report, a 911 call was logged around 8 p.m. from the Sunny Shores Mobile Home Park on 116th Street West. According to the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office, an argument broke out between Armstrong and his girlfriend, Caitlin Lipke, 33, at their home in the park. Lipke left the residence and met two men, Cole Banyas and Dylan Taylor, who used a golf cart to accompany her back to the home so she could retrieve her dog and personal items. The arrest report noted Banyas and Taylor were both armed with “a myriad of weapons, including long guns and pistols.” When they arrived, deputies say another argument ensued and Armstrong had armed himself with a shotgun. Banyas and Taylor told deputies Armstrong began shooting at them and they retuned fire, sending 9 to 10 rounds toward Armstrong and the house. Lipke is shot in the chest during the melee, deputies noted, saying in their report “she may have inadvertently been hit by Dylan while he was trying to protect her from Kevin.” Lipke and her friends retreated on the golf cart to a nearby intersection where they called 911. The motion to dismiss Armstrong filed a motion to dismiss the charge Sept. 16. In that motion, Armstrong said one of the two men with Lipke phoned him, saying they were coming to retrieve Lipke’s belongings, “and if he didn’t cooperate they were going to kill him,” the motion says. After arming themselves, they drove a golf cart to Armstrong’s home. Lipke shoved Armstrong, “and Cole Banyas and Dylan Taylor displayed their firearms in a threatening manner while still in the golf cart.” As Likpe walked toward the golf cart, Armstrong fired a single shotgun blast into the air as a warning. Taylor then returned fire, striking Likpe in the breasts and unloading the rest of the magazine into Armstrong’s house, shooting Armstrong in the foot. The motion to dismiss argued Armstrong had the right to defend himself “against the alleged victim’s imminent use of unlawful force OR to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.” The motion also argued the burden of proof is on the state to prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that a defendant is not entitled to full immunity. It also argues “the court may not deny a motion simply because factual disputes exist. “Wherefore, because the defendant acted in self-defense as set forth herein, he is immune from prosecution based upon the Stand Your Ground law and this case must be dismissed,” the motion concluded.
Can I own a gun if I have a very old felony? Over ten years? Federally, no. In at least one state, yes, provided you don’t get it from a Federally-licensed dealer, and you always keep it in your home. Texas state law criminalizes “felons in possession”, but only if they possess the weapon within 10 years of the full completion of their sentence including probation/parole, and/or if the weapon is possessed outside the home. So theoretically a felon 10 years passed his sentence, including parole, can own a gun and keep it in his home for his own defense. EDIT: the law has changed since this post, to reduce the term to 5 years after completion of incarceration and/or supervised release. Under Federal law, however, a person in possession of a firearm who has been convicted of any crime punishable by more than a year in jail is committing a Federal crime worth ten in the pen, no matter how long ago the conviction was. The Feds usually have better things to do than bust ex-felons, much to the frustration of local police in many cases, but if you draw attention to yourself or commit any other crime the Feds are more willing to prosecute, the gun possession is an additional 10-year gimme. If the felony is that old and you’ve stayed out of trouble and built a respectable life since getting out, you can avoid Federal problems by petitioning the court for a restoration of civil rights. Basically, the court says that you’ve demonstrated yourself sufficiently rehabilitated that you should no longer have the limitations on your rights that come with being an ex-con. That’s typically something you must show you have earned; most judges won’t just sign that kind of order as a matter of course, and it’s largely their discretion to do so at all. Also understand that the felony and the expungement or restoration order don’t just automatically cancel out in the NICS system used for background checks. The fact you have a felony record will red-flag any 4473 form submitted by an FFL in your name. Theoretically, the idea is that the person processing the application on the NICS side looks through the full record and will find the restoration order and determine it quashes the felony conviction, but if they miss it you will be denied, and there’s a lengthy, time-consuming and expensive process to make sure your NICS records are being properly interpreted (and there’s no penalty to the FBI that runs NICS even if you prove you were falsely denied; you get a “sorry, we’ll try to do better next time” and they really won’t). One option to avoid these headaches, after you’re gotten your conviction taken care of, is to apply for a carry license in one of the 25 states where that license is an acceptable substitute for NICS checks. You go through a comprehensive background check one time (where you usually get the chance to clue the agency into the existence of the restoration order), you take the class, get fingerprinted, maybe pass a practical qualification (you’ll have to rent or borrow a suitable firearm), then once you have the permit, you still have to fill out the 4473 but the FFL doesn’t have to send it to NICS; they write your license number on the form as the proof of background check, you pay them and you have a gun.
Can I dry fire my Ruger 10/22 ? How worried should I be about damaging the gun? I've heard dry fire hurts rimfires. All guns, snap caps should be used. The reason, it keeps the firing pin from becoming damaged. Some firearms like the Ruger 10-22 are not as easily damaged by dry fire. Dry-firing rimfires can damage the chamber face as the firing pin hits it instead of a cartridge. However, the Ruger 10/22 is an exception—its manual states that dry-firing is safe, thanks to a firing-pin stop that protects the breech face. While you shouldn't regularly dry-fire rimfires in general, the 10/22 is designed to handle it.
Can a felon shoot a gun at a gun range? Gregg Kielma Range Owner Gregg Kielma firearms range owner says no. If you're a felon, you cannot enjoy the shooting sports at our range. You lost your constitutional rights to fire firearms or own a firearm or ammo. Do not do it. It's federal law. It's not my law but the federal government. Please don't lie to us on the forms you need to fill out before you shoot. DON'T DO IT! Technically, prohibited persons could lie on waivers at ranges to shoot with friends, unless caught by law enforcement or revealing themselves. However, this is a felony from the moment they handle a gun or ammunition; if discovered, they can be arrested and possibly jailed. Signed waivers act as admissions of their status. Being able to do something does not mean it's right.
Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo on Ending Political Violence Against ICE WASHINGTON – Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a memorandum to the FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, and Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys focused on ending political violence against ICE. As noted in the memo, riots in Los Angeles and Portland reflect more than a 1000% increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year. The memo instructs Department of Justice components to: • Direct officers and agents to defend ICE facilities, specifically in Portland and Chicago. • Add local law enforcement entities to a temporary ICE Protection Task Force alongside DOJ law enforcement components. • Provide grant funding, training, and technical assistance to support federal, state, and local law enforcement protecting ICE. Finally, the Department of Justice will “arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law every person who aids, abets, or conspires to commit” crimes against ICE – including through “funding, coordination, or planning.”
How far can a “buck-shot: shotgun shoot? What's The Best Choice? Gregg Kielma Gregg Kielma, FFL, Firearms Instructor, Gunsmith, First Aid Fundamentals expert, Range Safety Officer, and a 5-Star USCCA Instructor , offers the following advice: it is essential to understand your shotgun. Consider whether it is intended for tactical home defense or hunting purposes; only you can determine which option best suits your needs. Firearms may vary significantly in recoil, depending on configuration, barrel length, and gauge, all of which influence firearm control. Each "shell" can travel specific distances for the purpose of application. Kielma further emphasizes that every application and operator is unique. Prior to selecting any firearm—be it a long gun, shotgun, or handgun—it is important to test the firearm and assess its suitability for you. Frequently, firearms arrive via transfer, and clients are unaware of the specifics of their purchase. It is advisable to consult a seasoned firearms Instructor for evaluation to ensure the firearm aligns with your requirements. Regarding buckshot, it is important to note that there is no such thing as a "buckshot shotgun." Rather, a shotgun can fire shells containing buckshot. Shells are available with various shot sizes, ranging from size 8 shot, approximately the diameter of a pencil lead, to buckshot, which is about 3/8 inch in diameter. All have specific purpose. It is hoped that this information proves helpful. Stay safe, Stay Situationally Aware Gregg Kielma Tactical K Training and Firearms
Judge demands to know how many CPD officers carry gun tied to misfire claims Chicago Police decided to stop using the Sig Sauer P320 earlier this year, but hundreds of officers still possess it A federal judge is demanding answers on how many CPD officers are carrying guns tied to dozens of lawsuits over alleged misfiring. A federal judge has given the City of Chicago until this week to explain how many Chicago police officers are still carrying a controversial handgun that's been tied to dozens of lawsuits across the country associated with claims that it misfires without a trigger pull. Across the country, dozens of officers and civilians have sued the gunmaker Sig Sauer alleging that the company's P320 handgun can misfire - even while holstered. Expert witnesses and even a former Sig Sauer employee have alleged the gun is defective. But in court filings, Sig Sauer has denied liability and challenged the authority of expert witnesses' claims. Chicago Police decided to stop using the Sig Sauer P320 following an April meeting earlier this year; but 780 officers still possess it, according to CPD firearms supervisor’s sworn affidavit. At one time, close to 1,500 officers - or 13 percent of the force - were using it as their service weapon. According to the CPD firearms supervisor's sworn statement, nearly half of those 1,500 officers that once used the gun are now using an alternative weapon. Still, at least 780 other officers have ordered a new handgun, but their "transitions" have been delayed due to "holster availability' and scheduled pickups of their new weapons, court records show. According to the court filings, a CPD panel decided in April to move away from the controversial handgun and set benchmarks over the summer for officers to supply CPD administrators with how many officers still had the weapon. The Chicago Police union's president John Catanzara thinks the department isn't moving fast enough. "If something is dangerous like a firearm to the point where you had to ban it, it should be off the street immediately," Catanzara informed several news sources. Federal Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer seems to agree. In her order filed last week, she wrote "any officer who is in possession of an alternative weapon ... should be required immediately to use that alternative weapon." Former Virginia police officer Marcie Vadnais says she experienced a misfire incident involving her P320 in 2018 when she was sitting in her vehicle. “I still to this day have two thirds of the rounds in my right leg," painful and still there. The now-medical former officer from Loudon County, Virginia says she never had any concerns about her weapon before the incident and says it misfired while it was holstered. "This weapon is dangerous; nobody should ever have their hands on this weapon," Vadnais said. X-ray images she shared with NBC 5 Investigates show the close-range gunshot shattered her femur. The road to recovery she says was long." It took a long time to be okay to talk about this," she said. "I did struggle a lot with this. The injury, the pain..."Vadnais sued Sig Sauer in 2019 and later settled for an undisclosed amount, and she’s not alone. Over the past decade, more than 100 people have made claims that their P320s have misfired, according to publicly available court records. A 2023 investigation by The Washington Post and the non-profit newsroom, The Trace, found that more than 90 have claimed to have suffered injuries as a result. "There have been some wins; some losses," said attorney Jeff Bagnell, who says he's been involved in dozens of lawsuits where his clients have alleged the gun is defective. The results of legal challenges have been mixed. Bagnell says Sig Sauer has lost three recent cases. Sig Sauer reportedly won a case in 2022 involving a different defect in the P320. And at least 12 other lawsuits have been dismissed, The Trace reported. Bagnell says while Sig Sauer has Sig Sauer has challenged the results of other cases through appeals, court records reviewed by attorneys involved. In court filings, Sig Sauer has denied liability, defended its product and said that misfires can happen with a variety of guns. And while the company offers a pistol upgrade program through its website, it also says the original version of the P320 "meets and exceeds all U.S. safety standards." Chicago Police did not respond to NBC 5 Investigates' requests for comment. Correction: The story has been updated to reflect mixed results of legal challenges. An earlier version misstated Sig Sauer's court victories in two cases. The company won a 2022 case involving a different defect involving the P320. At least 12 other lawsuits have been dismissed, The Trace reported. The story has been updated to reflect that.
Chicago Violence Interrupter Program Seems Long On Violence And Short On Interruption Gregg Kielma Chicago officials have implemented several strategies to address violent crime, though most have proven ineffective. Recently, a "violence interrupter" with CeaseFire Chicago, Jamari Edwards, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after admitting to three carjackings in August 2022—one of which involved shooting a victim in the leg—and pleading guilty to related firearm charges. Further details reveal that during one incident, Edwards approached a man at a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru, threatened him with a gun, shot him, and stole his wallet, phone, and car. Says Gregg Kielma Firearms Instructor-FFL Gunsmith and First Aid Fundamentals Instructor, “Chicago, haven’t you had enough of your neighborhoods, friends, and family killed? It’s time to make the city, your city, safe and remove the criminals from your beautiful streets! Let's together, make your city safe. The current Presidental administration has a plan please follow it. Give it an opportunity, you have nothing to lose. Your current leadership is doing nothing for you, Friends and family are leaving, my goodness look around you.. Look what they are doing to you! VOTE Smart and Carefully Chicago : Before you continue to plunder into obyss. Safety First Politics Second. Be safe friends
Trump Could End Bush Sr.’s 1989 Semi-Auto Import Ban — Here’s Why Gun Owners Should Demand It Scott Witner More than three decades ago, a Republican president with a “no new gun laws” campaign promise pulled the rug out from under America’s gun owners. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush banned the importation of 43 models of semi-automatic rifles — rifles the media loves to call “assault weapons” — with the stroke of a pen. Chinese AKs. Israeli Uzi carbines. FN FALs. HK 91s and 93s. All blocked at the border because ATF decided they didn’t meet the Gun Control Act’s arbitrary “sporting purposes” test. And here’s the kicker: that ban has never been repealed. Why This Matters Toda y The 1989 import ban wasn’t passed by Congress. It was an executive decision — meaning the sitting president could reverse it tomorrow without a single vote on Capitol Hill. Firearms News Editor-in-Chief Vincent DeNiro put it plainly: “President Trump doesn’t even need Congress to get rid of the unconstitutional 1989 ‘assault weapons’ import ban. He just needs to order BATFE to declare all imported semi-auto rifles as ‘sporting,’ which is what these same models are considered when domestically produced.” That’s right — the same rifles that can be built and sold here in the U.S. are still banned from import simply because of where they’re made. The History Behind the “Sporting Purposes” Test The Gun Control Act of 1968 gave the federal government the power to block imports of firearms that weren’t deemed “sporting.” That language was a gift to the gun-control lobby, and Bush Sr.’s 1989 order weaponized it. Richard Stevens, author and attorney for Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, pointed out decades ago that this exact strategy was used by the Nazis in 1938 — banning non-approved imports under the guise of “sporting use.” Let’s be clear: the Second Amendment is not about trap shooting or deer season. As Tench Coxe, a delegate to the Continental Congress, wrote, C&H Precision (CHPWS), an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of precision optics. Written by: Unknown “Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American.” Executive Action Could End It Tomorrow What can be done by executive action can be undone by executive action. There’s no excuse for letting this stand — especially from a president who campaigned as a friend of the Second Amendment. Ending the import ban would: • Restore access to historically significant and affordable rifles for collectors and shooters. • Force the gun-control crowd to lose their minds on live TV. • Fire up gun owners ahead of 2026 midterms and crucial state elections like Virginia’s governor’s race. Where Are the “Gun Rights” Groups? If this is such an easy win, why hasn’t it been done? The bigger question: why aren’t the big-name membership gun groups hammering this issue daily? They know the ban still exists. They know it could be lifted tomorrow. They claim to have the ear of the president — so why haven’t they made this a priority? This is also why DOJ’s so-called Second Amendment Task Force needs actual gun owner representation, not just career bureaucrats. Gun owners deserve a seat at the table to influence priorities and hold leaders accountable. The Bottom Line “Stroke of the pen, law of the land,” Clinton aide Paul Begala once said about executive orders. Well, Mr. Trump — this is one stroke of the pen gun owners would actually cheer for. Reclassify these rifles as “sporting.” End the 1989 ban. Stop the absurd 922r parts-count game. Let Americans import the rifles they have every right to own. It’s lawful, it’s easy, and it would be very cool.
